05/21/2026
Sesame arrived at Faithful Friends in 2022 as one of a litter of nine puppies. While many of his brothers and sisters quickly found homes, Sesame stayed behind at the sanctuary alongside his brother, Basil, and sister, Lavender, patiently waiting for a family of his own.
Although Sesame was the most outgoing of his siblings, he was still shy, and that often made potential adopters overlook him. So we continued to shower him with love, giving him special treats, spending time running and playing with him, and helping him build confidence every day. Over time, everyone at the sanctuary grew deeply attached to his goofy, loving personality.
Then, this past April, everything changed. After seeing a post about Sesame on our page, a family submitted an application for him online. We at the sanctuary were shocked and thrilled. Sesame was one of those dogs we adored but rarely, if ever, received applications for.
After the family passed the vet check, we spoke with them and learned about their long history as devoted dog owners, the special pack they had built, and the space they had in their hearts for another companion.
Still, we knew this transition would need to happen slowly and at Sesame’s pace to ensure success for everyone involved. During the first visit, Sesame offered gentle sniffs and nervous glances, but there was something hopeful in his body language that told us he was ready to open his world a little wider.
Together, the sanctuary staff and the family created a careful plan. The family had an event scheduled at the end of May and didn’t want to bring him home only to board him right away. Instead, they visited multiple times each week, sometimes individually, sometimes with their dogs, so Sesame could gradually get to know them and begin feeling safe.
His biggest breakthrough came when he met two of their three dogs at the sanctuary. His tail started wagging, and for the first time, it seemed like he realized these new friends might become his forever family.
Once he became comfortable with meet-and-greets at the sanctuary, we moved on to home visits. One of our staff members brought him to the family’s house so he could explore his potential new surroundings. Sesame surprised everyone by confidently roaming the backyard, sniffing every corner, and eventually walking right into the house like he already belonged there.
After three successful home visits, each one helping him grow more confident, we knew Sesame, now renamed Sulley, was finally ready to go home. He stayed with us until his family returned from their trip, and yesterday, he officially went home for good.
This adoption took countless hours of patience, trust, and dedication from both the sanctuary staff and Sulley’s new family. But every step led to this moment: Sulley beginning the rest of his life surrounded by love, soaking up sunshine in the backyard, and getting into shenanigans with his new dog siblings.
Now, Sulley has not just one family, but two, both committed to supporting him, loving him, and cheering him on forever. We at Faithful Friends are proud to say that Sesame, now Sulley, has been ADOPTED!
