A foster puppy has suffered the heartbreak of seeing each of her siblings get adopted while she remains behind.

Birdie came into Rachel Fusaro's care a little over 15 weeks ago. "Her mom, Daffodil, was dumped at my local shelter where I volunteer malnourished, underweight, and very pregnant," Fusaro told Newsweek. "I took her home to foster, and within 48 hours she birthed nine puppies."

Sadly, three of the pups died within a couple of weeks due to congenital defects, but the six others remained, alongside their mom, in Fusaro's incredible care.

"I put my entire professional and personal life on hold to care for these pups, which has been the most challenging yet rewarding thing I've done," Fusaro said. "Beyond keeping them alive, I worked on socialization, positive training and life 101 to help ensure the pups would thrive once adopted."

Eventually, Fusaro took to naming the pups. Birdie earned her moniker on account of her beautiful coloring, which Fusaro felt left her "resembling a bald eagle."

"I knew from the start she would be going places," Fusaro said. "She's a little reserved with new people, but once you're in her circle, it's forever."

For the longest time that circle included her mom and siblings. Fusaro allowed Daffodil to nurse her puppies until they were 10 weeks old, which she says helped make their bond "beautiful."

However, as puppies, it was always assumed the young dogs would one day find forever homes elsewhere. There's a great deal of demand for rescue puppies.

A Priceonomics study examining data from the adoption website Petfinder found that 95 percent of puppies listed on the site ended up being rehomed. By comparison, that dropped to 80 percent among young dogs, 75.5 percent for adults and 68.2 percent for seniors.

In this case, each time someone came to adopt one of the puppies, Birdie went largely ignored and the anguish of her seeing one of her beloved siblings gone forever was difficult for her to take.

"She has needed extra support and love as every time one of her siblings is adopted, her entire world and routine changes," Fusaro said. "It's not easy on any of us, but she's strong and resilient and will make the right family so lucky."

Footage of Birdie looking on while Fusaro's caption explains this heartbreaking scenario had many viewers welling up when it was shared to TikTok. "Omg, she's so adorable!! She will find her forever home," one wrote, with another commenting: "All I do is cry on this app" while a third said: "Now I'm crying."

Finding an Owner

It's often the more extrovert dogs who end up being adopted quicker. A 2012 study from the journal Animals, highlighted how social behaviors are key to helping shelter dogs find a forever home.

The study, based on a poll of nearly 1,500 people who had recently adopted a dog, found that they were drawn to canines who greeted them, licked them, jumped up or simply wagged their tails during their first meeting.

Birdie isn't that kind of dog, but she's no less worthy of a home. "Birdie was born with a sensitive and loving spirit. She likes to watch the world before exploring it, she's thoughtful," Fusaro said. "There's something special about her, the perfect mix of sweet and playful."

Fusaro did a DNA test on one of Birdie's siblings, discovering they are mostly border collie, one of the most intelligent and high energy breeds there is. That's why she thinks it's important whoever adopts her knows what they are taking on.

"She will require a lifetime of positive training, proper exercise, enrichment and plenty of opportunities to explore the world at her pace, meaning she needs a family with the time and willingness to put the work in," Fusaro said.

More than that, she wants whoever it is to keep in mind that Birdie is a rescue dog. "She has a solid foundation and the potential to be an incredibly stable and loving adult dog - she just needs someone with the time, patience and understanding."

If that person is you and you live in or close to Oregon, Fusaro would love to hear from you.