TOWN OF TONAWANDA, N.Y. (WKBW) — It was love at first sight when a little girl walked into the Buffalo Animal Shelter and locked eyes with "Poncho".
As her Town of Tonawanda grandmother tried to figure out the finances to adopt the dog, a generous stranger stepped in to help foot the bill.
I spoke with all three Friday night, and they shared the generosity that helped bring Poncho to his forever home.
There was a new bond created through a small dog named Poncho found at the City of Buffalo Animal Shelter.
"She's pretty much in my life permanently now. We text each other every day. If she doesn't text me first thing in the morning, I'm texting her first thing in the morning," Buffalo Police Department Detective Felicia Dudley said.
It all started with a kind gesture.
Grandmother, Pat Sheridan and her granddaughter Essie found themselves at the shelter, last Saturday.
"We went in there just to look," Pat Sheridan explained.
Meanwhile, Detective Felicia Dudley and a colleague were on break and decided to stop by that same animal shelter just around the corner from their station.
Detective Dudley told me they were there for about 45 minutes.
"As we're walking around viewing the shelter, I am still getting distracted by this little girl standing next to this crate and I asked the receptionist, the person at the desk, I said, 'Hey, are they getting that dog?' They said no. It is still up for adoption. She doesn't have all the money to get it," Detective Dudley said.
"Essie fell in love with Poncho big time. I couldn't do $200. They wanted it on the spot. Detective here, Felicia said that if we wanted him bad enough, she'd give us the money for it," Sheridan added.
Sheridan was in disbelief!
"I am just being me. I have always been kindhearted, and I have always listened to people. I try to put myself in their shoes. If I didn't have it, I would hope that somebody did the same for me that day," Detective Dudley said.
The two split the cost; she had $100 cash on her and Dudley had the other $100 cash.
They told me the animal shelter only accepted cash for adoptions that day.
"I was crying. You don't see people being that nice. I hate to say it. I am kind of a jaded, old nurse is what I am. I could not believe that anybody would offer to do that. That's a lot of money," Sheridan said.
If you asked sweet, little Essie, she's over the moon!
"Excited and happy," 6-year-old Essie shared. "It's really cool. I never actually had a dog that I can pick up."
The 6-year-old pup, which happens to be the same age as Essie officially came home on Tuesday, and he has made himself feel at home, at grandma's house.
Sheridan said Essie has been over to her house every day this week because of Poncho, which she said she does not mind!
