Stray dog who befriended purple unicorn finds adopter

MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. (WCTI) — A stray dog who stole hearts across eastern North Carolina and the country will soon have a new home.

The 1-year-old Lab mix was spotted wandering around the Dollar General in Mount Olive, trying to sneak in multiple times to steal a purple stuffed unicorn. Employees called Duplin County Animal Control, but the pup wasn't charged for the crime; an officer bought the unicorn for him instead.

MORE: Stray dog tries to steal stuffed unicorn from store until officer buys it for him

Staffers have now named the dog Sisu and say the unicorn accompanies him everywhere he goes.

Sisu and his beloved unicorn have happy news to share: workers say someone from the North Carolina Lab Rescue is set to adopt him (and his friend).

Duplin County Animal Control Supervisor Joe Newburn says the officer who bought the toy, Samantha Lane, was happy to help Sisu.

“This is something she’s always done," Newburn said. "This isn’t something new to her, it's just a different dog, but yes, she’s always doing this stuff for the animals.”

NewsChannel 12 also reached out to Dollar General, and the corporate office says the company plans to donate pet food to Duplin County Animal Services:

We are paws-itively thrilled that Sisu is enjoying his new toy! We are also grateful for Animal Control Officer Lane in helping to rescue him.

To show our appreciation, we plan to provide the Duplin County Animal Services with a pet food donation and Officer Lane with a special thank you gift, as well as a few extra of Sisu’s beloved purple unicorns to his eventual adoptive family.