When a litter of 3-month-old puppies arrived at BARC Animal Shelter in Houston, volunteers were instantly smitten.
They were wiggly. Sweet. Irresistible.
But one tiny pup stood out from the rest.
A volunteer named Bri couldn’t stop looking at a little boy named Ace. Right down the center of his nose was a faint line, gently dividing it into two sections — almost like a tiny heart drawn by nature itself.
“[He] has a ‘bifid’ or cleft nose,” Caitie’s Foster Fam shared on Instagram. “It’s purely cosmetic and doesn’t affect him medically at all.”
To Bri, it was adorable. A charming little quirk that made him unique.
But when she returned to the shelter a week later, her heart sank.
Every single one of Ace’s siblings had been adopted.
Every. Single. One.
Except him.
“All of his siblings were adopted one by one, but he found himself continuously being looked over,” Caitie’s Foster Fam wrote. “We can’t figure out why, except maybe because of his nose.”
Day after day, families walked past his kennel. Some paused. Some smiled. But none chose him.
It’s hard to imagine that a tiny line on a puppy’s nose could make him invisible — but sometimes, anything “different” is enough.
Thankfully, Ace didn’t have to wait much longer.
Caitie’s Foster Fam stepped in and pulled him into a loving foster home, where he could finally relax and just be a puppy.
And with a fresh start came a new name: Wabi-Sabi.
Inspired by the Japanese philosophy that finds beauty in imperfection, the name fits him perfectly.
“We hope his cute face and adorable personality shows everyone to give the ‘imperfect’ babies a chance,” the rescue wrote.
Online, supporters were quick to agree.
“I don’t see any imperfection — all I see is the sweetest heart shape,” one commenter wrote.
In foster care, Wabi-Sabi has blossomed. He’s been spoiled with warm baths, endless snuggles, and plenty of playtime. He recently mastered “sit” and proudly shows off his new skill whenever treats are involved.
Most importantly, he’s discovering that he is lovable — exactly as he is.
As much as he enjoys life with his foster mom, it’s only temporary. What Wabi-Sabi truly needs is a forever family — one that sees his little split nose not as a flaw, but as a signature.
“We promised him we would help him find his forever family, just like his siblings got,” Caitie’s Foster Fam wrote.
His nose may be different.
But his heart?
Perfect.
If you're interested in adopting Wabi-Sabi, you can find his adoption profile here.
