Stray Dog’s Love for a Toy Unicorn Leads Him to a Forever Home

In the small town of Brookhaven, Georgia, a stray dog’s unusual obsession changed the course of his life.

The dog, later named Oliver, repeatedly wandered into a local discount store, always heading straight for the same item—a plush purple unicorn. No matter how many times he was shooed away, Oliver returned again and again, trying to claim the stuffed toy as his own.

After the fifth attempt, store staff contacted DeKalb County Animal Control to report the strange “shoplifting” incident. To their surprise, when officer Rachel Gomez arrived, Oliver ignored everything else in the store and once again made a beeline for the unicorn.

Rachel was deeply moved. Instead of simply taking the dog away, she used her own $10 to buy the toy for him. Watching Oliver snuggle the unicorn against his chest touched everyone who witnessed it. “He had nothing else in the world, but he knew he wanted that toy,” Rachel later said.

Once safely in animal services, Oliver clutched his unicorn as if it were a lifeline. Staff noted that he seemed to have had one before, perhaps in a previous home. “He went straight for it every time—never anything else,” said shelter manager Tom Whitaker.

The story spread quickly after animal control shared it online. Soon, people everywhere were touched by the bond between a homeless dog and a simple stuffed toy. The shelter described Oliver as sweet-natured, gentle with people, and a little sassy with other dogs. Above all, they highlighted his devotion to his purple unicorn.

Within days, adoption requests poured in. Eventually, Oliver found his forever family, one that promised he would never be without love—or unicorns—again. To celebrate, the store that first tried to keep him out donated several more plush unicorns, ensuring Oliver would never be without his favorite comfort.

Officer Rachel was honored by the store with a small gift and public thanks, while the shelter received a donation of pet food.

Oliver’s tale proved that love can take many forms—even in a stray dog’s determination to hold onto a toy. His story reminded thousands that sometimes the smallest gestures of kindness can lead to the happiest endings.