Two years ago, I brought home a terrified little raccoon-looking dog. She threw up multiple times on the car ride home. The first night, she refused to leave her travel crate — the only place she felt safe enough to rest. She was named Piu Piu.

What if she never opens up, wags her tail, and seems happy? Would she be better off with another family?

Those thoughts seem silly now. But It took months, before she eventually looked at me with shiny eyes, jumped on the couch to sniff and then sat down next to me. It was a magical moment, one that reminded me why life is worth living.

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It didn’t take long before my curiosity and detective work, aka internet digging, led me to Piu Piu's mother, Hana.

Hana, a Korean Jindo, was once a stray wandering the streets of South Korea. She had just given birth to seven adorable pups when she was rescued by a local animal shelter. While most of her pups were sent to a shelter in New York for adoption, Hana was left behind in South Korea.

As I learned more about Hana, I could not bear to think of her alone in a shelter. After four months of planning and waiting, I arranged to have Hana flown to the U.S., and she was reunited with Piu Piu.

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The journey didn’t end there. I was thrilled to discover that Hana’s other pups too had found loving homes, and soon connected with people who adopted them. The bond between the dogs brought us all together. One road trip later, we have new extended family members.

Every day, Hana and Piu Piu keep redefining the meaning of love, trust and compassion. I look forward to our many more adventures ahead.