Mia was rescued alongside her mom when she was only 9 days old. The pair were taken in by the RSPCA and given lots of very needed love and care. Puppies and young dogs are usually very desirable and get adopted pretty quickly — but for some reason, that wasn’t the case for Mia.

Weeks, months and years passed without anyone coming to adopt Mia. She watched 1,500 other animals get adopted from the RSPCA’s Southridge Animal Center before her, all the while waiting for it to be her turn. She had spent her entire life living at the shelter, and no one could understand why.

“Her long wait was completely heartbreaking,” Claire Hoffman, behavior and welfare advisor at RSPCA Southridge, told The Dodo. “We think she was the RSPCA’s longest ‘available for rehoming’ pet and the country’s most unwanted dog, a title no animal deserves.”

In October, Mia celebrated her fifth birthday at the shelter. Her friends there threw her a party and made her feel as special and as loved as possible. As they celebrated, everyone who knew and loved Mia made the same wish — that this would be her last birthday at the shelter.

And several months later, that wish finally came true.

200 miles away, Mia’s dad had been waiting for her, and he finally found her. She’s been in her new home for about a month now, and to say that she’s thriving would be an understatement.

“She loves making new friends, both doggy and human, and you can see the enjoyment in her when we go out for walks or play with toys together,” Chris Greenwell, Mia’s dad, told The Dodo. “I’m so pleased I’ve been able to give her a happy life and a loving home — I have no idea why such a special dog was in care for so long, but the way she’s settled into home life is amazing.”

Now, Mia is making up for lost time and doing all the things she missed out on while living life at the shelter. She has both a favorite couch and a favorite armchair. She goes on hikes and has discovered what rivers and waterfalls are. She interrupts her dad during work meetings and has already destroyed several toys. She’s truly living her best life, and her dad couldn’t be happier with how she’s changed his life.

“Everyone she meets, she wins over — even people who aren’t ‘doggy people,’” Greenwell said. “She’s exceeded expectations in every way. Mia really is the epitome of man’s best friend.”