For over a decade it seemed like Irma the dog would never find a forever home of her own, then something incredible happened.

When Susanne Toivonen, a shelter volunteer, first met Irma, she learned about the cruelty and rejection that had defined much of his early life. “Irma was found as a tiny puppy with her two siblings from the trash when he was four weeks old,” Toivonen told Newsweek. “They were taken to the shelter and Irma was adopted after a while. However, eight months later her adopters returned with Irma and abandoned her all over again.”

Irma was first rescued in 2012 by George Stray Dogs (GSD), a non-profit based in the city of Heraklion on the Greek Island of Crete, which was set up 28 years ago to help vulnerable dogs in the region.

Irma as a puppy and as a dog. | Susanne Toivonen

According to a 2025 study published in the Veterinary Journal, Greece is home to one of the largest populations of stray companion animals worldwide, with an estimated three million stray dogs and cats across the country.

Toivonen doesn’t know what led to Irma being abandoned in the trash like she was but, in her experience, cases like this follow a similar pattern.

“The most common reason for abandonment is that locals don’t spay their dogs, but let them roam the streets, causing the females to become pregnant and give birth to unwanted puppies,” she said. “These puppies are then abandoned in trash cans and on the streets to survive on their own.”

Had Irma and her siblings not been found that day, then they could easily have suffered a grim fate. “They were very lucky to be rescued by George,” Toivonen said.

After that initial adoption and return, however, it seemed like Irma would remain at the shelter, living among a population of anywhere up to 130 dogs, for the rest of her life.

Toivonen, who lives in Helsinki, Finland, got involved with GSD three years ago.

“I help to find adoptions and I also visit the shelter regularly and help with the daily work” she said. “I have known Irma the whole time I have helped and my biggest wish has been to find her a home.”

Toivonen always felt like the experience of being adopted and then returned after such a long period of time hit Irma hard and left her struggling to make sense of things when she did return to the shelter.

“It’s devastating for the dogs who have lived in a home before to end up in the shelter,” she said. “Irma was returned to the shelter because ‘she grew too big.’ She is 13 kg.”

After 13 long years in the shelter, it seemed like Irma was resigned to never knowing a home. But then something happened that changed everything. Irma’s brother, who had been rescued alongside her and had gone on to spend over a decade at GSD died without ever finding a home.

His death sparked Toivonen to take action. Up until that point she had previously adopted two puppies from Crete along with two senior dogs. Within the past year, however, two of her dogs had sadly passed away. Realizing that Irma might never experience his own forever home, she stepped in.

“I decided not to let Irma suffer the same fate as her brother so I adopted her myself,” Toivonen said. “Every dog should experience a home before they leave this world.”

Susanne Toivonen and Irma | Susanne Toivonen

So one day Irma made the long trip from Crete over to Finland, where he is now settling into his new home. “I do animal-assisted social work with children, so my dogs work as therapy dogs,” Toivonen said. “Irma will join the team after she has settled in. My rescue dogs’ stories have been very empowering to my clients because it gives them hope that life can still change for the better.”

In a video posted to the GSD TikTok, @georgestraydogs, Irma can be seen enjoying his new life. It’s a life of cuddles, games of fetch in the park and naps on the couch. It’s everything he could ever have wished for. Toivonen’s only hope is that Irma’s story serves as a reminder that senior shelter dogs are worthy of a chance.

“Senior dogs are so gentle, wise and grateful and the bond you create with them is something very special,” she said. “I can’t recommend enough to give an older dog a chance—they will give back a thousandfold what you give to them.”