CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Saira, a Chihuahua with an endearing snaggletooth, and Minnie, her loyal Labrador mix best friend, have faced an unexpected chapter in their lives after losing the home they shared with their family.

The pair recently arrived at the Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA after an immigration-related family separation left their owner unable to keep them. While SPCA staff say pets come into their care under many different circumstances, cases like Saira and Minnie’s have become an increasingly familiar reality for animal shelters across the country.

Despite the upheaval, one thing has remained constant: the inseparable bond between the two dogs.

“Through the confusion and loss, they have remained each other’s constant source of comfort,” said the Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA via Facebook. “As heartbreaking as it is that Saira and Minnie could not stay with their owner, we are determined to keep them together.”

Unlike many misconceptions surrounding shelter animals, Saira and Minnie did not come from a neglectful situation. Shelter staff say the dogs were deeply loved, well cared for, and cherished members of their family before circumstances beyond anyone’s control changed their future.

“Pets come to the shelter for many different reasons, and helping families through difficult transitions is something we navigate every day,” Jessica Taylor, marketing manager for the Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA, told Cville Right Now. “Surrendering a beloved pet is never an easy decision. Immigration-related family separations are one factor that has contributed to surrenders, and while these cases represent only a small portion of the animals we serve, we have cared for a few animals affected by these circumstances this year.”

The shelter hopes stories like Saira and Minnie’s will encourage the public to look beyond assumptions about why animals enter shelters.

“These pets have been deeply loved, well cared for, and have known the comfort of being cherished companions,” Taylor said. “Their presence in a shelter reflects a change in family circumstances, not a lack of love or care.”

Staff members are committed to finding the pair a home where they can remain together, believing their companionship has helped them navigate an otherwise difficult transition.

“At our organization, we believe that no individual—or animal—should be defined solely by the most difficult chapter of their story,” Taylor said. “Our responsibility is to provide compassionate care, honor the relationships that shaped these animals’ lives, and help them find a secure and loving future.”

For Saira and Minnie, that future means finding another family willing to open both their hearts and their home to two dogs who have already proven they can weather life’s hardest moments—together.