6 min read Dog Is So Excited To See Best Friends She Moved Away From They got a dream playdate — including swimming!

Making friends has never been easy for Juno. The 3-year-old pit bull mix takes a long time to trust — so every bond she forms is special. But Kelly Tedford didn’t know this when she drove from Vancouver to Seattle to adopt Juno in 2017.

Kelly Tedford

“I adopted Juno not really knowing her full history or understanding what I was taking on,” Tedford told The Dodo. “By the time I had responded to her ad on Petfinder, she was an adult dog who had flunked out of two adoptive homes.” “Being the stubborn person I am, I sat on the ground with treats for half an hour until she would approach me,” Tedford added.

Kelly Tedford

As a dog walker and part-time trainer, Tedford had plenty of experience with difficult dogs. However, when Tedford began to introduce Juno to her clients, she would become aggressive out of fear. It took time and work, but eventually, Juno began to settle down and would even enjoy their company on the walk. “She would get to know them over the course of a walk and become friends with them,” Tedford said. “If we went more than a week without seeing them, however, it was like she didn’t even recognize them.”

Kelly Tedford

Tedford tried everything to help ease Juno’s suffering — training, Thundershirts, natural calming aids and “good old-fashioned time” — until finally, a vet prescribed Juno Prozac. Once on the medication, Juno transformed. It lessened her aggression, and she started to remember her walking buddies every time she saw them. Juno soon became very attached to two Labradors named Callie and Blondie. “As I drove to their house to walk them she would start going nuts as soon as we drove onto their block,” Tedford said. “So that was kind of cool.”

Six months ago, Tedford moved and took a new job. She could see that Juno was lonely and having trouble warming up to other dogs, so she decided to give Juno a special surprise: a playdate with her old buddies.

Kelly Tedford

“With her behavioral traits, it’s kind of hard for her to make friends now that I don’t walk dogs,” Tedford said. “So I have started driving her back to our old neighborhood to play with dogs that were formerly our clients. It really improves her mood and de-stresses her.”

Kelly Tedford

Juno couldn’t have been more excited to see her friends.

Tedford took Juno and her friends for a swim in a special secluded spot, and she could see Juno finally relax and enjoy herself. It was like a weight had been lifted, Tedford noted: “We are constantly working on her behavioral issues, but her time with her ‘friends’ is an escape from things.”

When the weather gets warm again, Juno’s playdates will become a regular thing — and for Tedford, Juno’s happiness is worth the long drive. “Playing with her friends really helps her mentally,” Tedford said. “So, for now, I guess we will be making trips on the weekend to see her friends, taking them out to remote rivers and parks to play off leash.”