Nine months ago, Sedgefield neighbor Sara St.Clair and her daughter headed to the animal shelter with three small dogs in mind. But within 30 minutes of opening, all three had already been adopted.

Sara thanked the staff and was starting to leave when a volunteer stopped her with a simple question: “Have you considered Darcy?”

Sara hadn’t. She and her daughter had filtered their search for small dogs, and Darcy was listed as medium-sized. But when they saw her photo—a thin pup with her ribs showing and a sad expression—they decided that since they were already there, they might as well meet her.

That meeting changed everything.

“We felt she was perfect,” Sara says. “So we called the rest of the family, and they came to visit her too. We all were in love and adopted her that day.”

Darcy became Ember, and over the next nine months, the once-sad shelter dog began to blossom. She gained weight quickly and grew happier and more comfortable with her new family each day.

She also had plenty to learn. Ember had to figure out how to play, walk on a leash, climb stairs and even jump. A quick learner, she now knows lots of commands and loves playing with her stuffed toys and ball.

Today, Sara describes Ember as happy, healthy and the perfect addition to their family. And she still thinks about the volunteer who made sure they didn’t walk out the door that day without meeting her.

“I am so thankful for the words of that volunteer: ‘Have you considered Darcy?’” Sara says. “Otherwise, we would not have her.”