YULEE, Fla. — We first brought you the story of Queso last week. Nassau County Animal Services believes someone threw the puppy off the Blue Bridge into the St. Mary's River. She survived a 20-foot fall and the rough current until a Good Samaritan rescued her.
Queso recuperated at the shelter and now has a new lease on life.
“Queso is being adopted today. She gets to go home with her forever family," said Cassandra Kozerski, senior kennel attendant at Nassau County Animal Services.
Joe Catania and Kate Catania drove six hours from Broward County Saturday morning. They instantly fell in love with the 11-week-old puppy Queso after seeing the original story on First Coast News last week.
“Just coincidentally he [Joe Catania] was scrolling through his phone and came across your article, your story," Kate Catania said.
“I said to her the next day, ‘I have a good feeling we’re going to get this dog,'” Joe Catania said.
The Catanias got the call Monday they would be Queso's adoptive family. The anticipation continued building during the week.
“Even at home, I was watching the video 2 to 3 times a day," Joe Catania said.
“They want to rescue, and they wanted her to have a story," Kozerski said. "They wanted her to be a true rescue dog.”
Queso has been through a lot in her short life. She’s starting over and has a lot of special things waiting for her at her furever home.
“We went shopping yesterday," Kate Catania said. "We got a new crate, a new bed, some new toys and we have some treats in the car.”
Most of all, Queso is getting love.
"We got you a crate, but I think you're going to be in our bed tonight. That's what I think," Kate Catania said to Queso.
"I'm going to be kicked out," Joe Catania jokingly replied.
The Catanias are still mourning their dog Shea, a 12-year-old yellow Labrador who passed away this summer, and they have been looking for the right dog to adopt.
“We just lost our dog a few months ago, three months ago," Kate Catania said. "We just wanted to bring another one home and rescue another one. Thank God he rescued her first and who knows? Maybe she’s rescuing us? Who knows.”
The love goes both ways, as Queso gets a new home and a new name, "Bleu," for her new happy tale in life.