Maryland – It should have been Dan’s last day at the shelter. The dog had been waiting for months for someone to finally adopt him. It seemed the right family had finally been found – until a single message changed everything.

According to an Instagram post, Dan had arrived at the Prince George's County Animal Shelter in early April.

He was one of the dogs that had been staying at the shelter the longest, and so was slowly but surely facing euthanasia.

His records noted that he could be noisy at times and sometimes reacted aggressively toward other males, something his caretakers could not really confirm.

Dogs Starving dog mother wraps tightly around her puppy in freezing cold – is it too late?

"Dan is a sweet, calm boy who just wanted someone to sit beside him," they wrote in the post. "He loves affection, and honestly... all he wanted to do was cuddle."

Eventually, the two‑year‑old pooch seemingly found a forever family.

Excited, shelter staff prepared everything for a smooth handover and even brought Dan out to the yard where they waited with him for his new owners.

The facility also sent a message to the family, reporting that Dan could hardly wait to finally be with them.

But then hours passed without anyone showing up or at least contacting the caretakers.

Just before the shelter closed that day, the staff sent another reminder text to the family. It was met with a crushing response.

"No sorry we adopted another dog," wrote the former interested parties.

The shelter’s Instagram post now artistically shows what this meant for Dan.

Various apps that were supposed to prepare him for his new home are shown being shut down, making it clear that the future plans for the four‑legged friend fell through.

Dogs Dog owner thinks she's adopting a Labrador puppy – only to be proven hilariously wrong: "wtf is that"

Dan’s story gained attention online and reached a family who fell in love with the pup at once.

They even drove four hours just to meet him!

It quickly became clear that they wanted to take the dog home, even though he had just tested positive for heartworms and would need an expensive treatment.

Dan, who has been renamed "Kronos" by his new owners, can finally start his new life.