Agatha and Jukebox are two large pit bull-type dogs who arrived separately at Pima Animal Care Center (PACC) in Tucson, Arizona, in 2019, met in a shelter playgroup and became inseparable. A photo of them cuddled together on a single small cot went viral that summer, and the attention paid off: by May 2020 the pair had been adopted together into the same home.
Their story is short and happy, but it also shows how shelters think about “bonded pairs”, why social media matters to adoption, and what to consider before taking home two big dogs at once.
Two dogs, two very different arrivals
Jukebox came first. He was found as a stray by a member of the public and brought to PACC in May 2019, aged about one year and eight months and weighing around 64 pounds. Local station KGUN 9 described him as food-motivated, keen on showing off his tricks and already house-trained.
Agatha arrived about a month later, aged two and weighing about 67 pounds, after her owners could no longer keep her. Shelter staff called her easy-going and smart. Both dogs were neutered or spayed, microchipped and vaccinated.
Neither settled easily at first. Shelters are loud, unfamiliar places, and many dogs, especially those who have lived in homes, show signs of stress such as pacing, barking or withdrawing. Staff noticed that both dogs seemed far calmer once they had found each other.
Friends who share one bed
The two met during a playgroup session, a common shelter practice in which compatible dogs are let out together to run, play and burn off energy. They clicked immediately. Staff eventually let them share a kennel, and despite being well over 60 pounds each, they chose to squeeze onto one small raised cot to sleep.
The photos show the pair as staff saw them every day: one dog curled around the other on their cot, the two standing shoulder to shoulder behind the kennel door, and both faces pressed together at the bars. Public information officer Nikki Reck said you could walk past their kennel and find them “always doing one of 20 cute things.”
Kristen Hassen-Auerbach, PACC’s director of animal services at the time, explained why staff were reluctant to separate them. Usually the shelter places dogs individually, but in this case: “with these two, we just can't bring ourselves to split them up.”
The photo that went viral
In the summer of 2019 Reck, a communications specialist for Pima County, posted a picture of the two cuddling on the shelter’s Facebook page. It spread quickly. Reck told KGUN 9: “We'd like to find them a home together,” adding that the dogs clearly enjoyed each other’s company. The shelter said it would still consider homes for one dog if that was the only option.
Social media has become one of the most effective tools shelters have. A good photo with a clear, personal story gives potential adopters a reason to stop scrolling, and it helps “long-stay” dogs, those who have waited much longer than average, stand out from hundreds of others. Large adult pit bull-type dogs are often among the slowest to be adopted, so attention like this can make a real difference.
PACC also ran promotions to move dogs into homes. Around the time of the KGUN report, the shelter held a late-night “Midnight Mutt-ness” adoption event with fees reduced to $20 per dog, meaning both Agatha and Jukebox could have gone home for $40.
Adopted together
The wait took months, but it ended the way staff hoped. In May 2020 iHeartDogs reported that Agatha and Jukebox had been adopted together by a family willing to keep their bond intact. The site credited the viral cuddling photo, along with the dogs’ sheer cuteness, with helping them get noticed. The family’s identity was not made public.
Thinking about adopting a bonded pair?
Many shelters list some dogs or cats as bonded pairs and prefer, or require, that they go home together. Two companions can comfort each other through the stress of a move and keep each other company when people are out. But two dogs also mean double the food, vet bills, training time and space. Before applying, it helps to:
- Ask staff how the pair behaves apart, on a lead and with visitors, and whether either dog has health or behaviour needs.
- Check your lease, insurance and local rules, some of which restrict large or particular breeds.
- Plan to walk and train each dog on its own as well as together, so neither becomes overly dependent.
- Budget for two sets of vaccinations, preventive care and emergencies, and talk to a vet early about any existing conditions.
If two dogs is too much, there are other ways to help: fostering, volunteering at playgroups, or simply sharing a shelter’s posts. As Agatha and Jukebox showed, a share can be how the right family finds them.
About Pima Animal Care Center
PACC is the county-run animal shelter for Pima County in southern Arizona, taking in strays as well as pets whose owners can no longer keep them. In 2019 it was reported to take in around 17,000 animals a year and to be caring for more than 400 dogs at a time. With numbers like that, every adoption frees space and staff time for the next animal in need. You can follow current adoptable animals on the Pima Animal Care Center Facebook page; the original video of the pair was shared by The Dodo.
Sources: Photos: Pima Animal Care Center. KGUN 9, 18 July 2019: Loveable doggie duo needs a forever home; iHeartDogs, 1 May 2020: Pitties who bonded in shelter find a together forever home.
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