Every now and then, an animal shelter will be blown away by a the kindness of a stranger. Their generosity and big hearts help offset all the sadness and misery that shelter workers see on a daily basis. That happened recently at a California shelter when a woman walked in and asked them who their “oldest, hardest to adopt dog was” and for them to make an introduction.

Front Street Shelter took the woman, named Melani Andrews, to meet Jake. Jake turned up at their shelter after being picked up as a stray. The senior dog was suffering from bad skin, bad teeth and cancer and he was repeatedly overlooked despite his sweet nature.

Front Street Shelter shared this sweet story on Facebook and how their introduction turned into a “match made in heaven”.

“This kind woman walked into our shelter and asked who the oldest, hardest to adopt dog was,” Front Street Shelter wrote. “So we introduced her to Jake. Jake has been with us for a long time, is a senior and has cancer in addition to skin problems. He was getting passed up time and time again.

“But Melani came to the shelter not just to find a great dog, but to save a life and give unconditional love to a dog in need,” they added. “As you can see, it’s a match made in heaven. Please help us thank Melani…People like her are our heroes.”

Melani later revealed to Today.com that her visit had been prompted by a personally difficult year. Her husband had passed away half a year ago, followed a month later by her dog. She knew she wanted a new companion, but also to help an overlooked dog. Jake was just that dog.

Now Jake enjoys taking short walks in the neighborhood and tormenting the next-door dog through a hole in the fence in Melani’s back yard and cozying up to her while curled up in a fleece blanket that he likes to roll himself up in. It suits Melani just fine. She plans on making Jake’s life as happy and comfortable as long as she can.