"The night I lost Ruby the beagle, I saw Ruby the Lab," Heidi Weber said of the experience saying goodbye to her dog and adopting a rescue in need. On January 12, the Washington D.C.-based executive laid her beloved beagle, Ruby, to rest after living 18 long years. "I did not plan to adopt another dog for a while. I lost my other dog in March 2020, and Ruby helped me get through that loss plus the pandemic," Weber, told PEOPLE. "She was a good friend."
While scrolling through the page of Beth Stern — wife of radio DJ Howard Stern and well-known animal rescuer — on Instagram, Weber saw a post about a senior lab in need named Ruby. The dog arrived at the North Shore Animal League America in New York in early January after her owners had died. The dog spent her time at the shelter searching for her previous owners, so confused about what had happened to her, and it broke Beth Stern's heart.
"We are still accepting applications for Ruby, the sad 11 year old lab mix whose owner just passed away. She waits all day and night for her human to come and get her and it's utterly heartbreaking," Stern wrote. Thankfully, Weber decided to take the leap and contact her.
"I did not hesitate to apply for Ruby the Lab. She lost her owner, just like I lost my dog. She was an older dog that many people would probably overlook, and I have been adopting older animals for years," Weber said. "Ruby was happy to meet me, and she was ready to leave the shelter. The staff really showed her a lot of concern and love."