UPDATE: Hortencia Was Adopted

Hortencia Hernandez, the lovable pug with one eye who was up for adoption at the Delaware Humane Association, has a new home. Kevin Usilton, the shelter's executive director, said she, and another little all-American named El Tigre were adopted, as were several miniature poodles that came from a bad situation in Kent County, Md. Kevin says the shelter had a very busy weekend.

We first heard that Hortencia might have been adopted from Cameo, the nice local artist we ran into the day we were first met Hortencia.

"She must've been adopted," Cameo wrote in her e-mail. "It sure makes me happy to think of her in a new home, living the good life :)."

The 3-year-old pug had been pulled from the Kent County SPCA in hopes of finding her a home here.

Hortencia suffered a trauma to her right eye, and Patrick Carroll, director of development at the shelter, says someone might have poked it out. It's mind-boggling that someone could cause such harm to such a sweet animal. Hortencia could not have been more friendly -- the face kisses were overflowing.

We also ran into a very nice couple with a digital camera -- that was Cameo and her signficant other -- who enjoy coming to the humane association to look at the animals. They're planning to get a dog after they buy a house. Cameo is an artist, and the dogs and cats give her inspiration. I asked Cameo if she would shoot a couple of photos of Hortencia, so I could include one in my blog.

The chance meetup led me to this: How could this couple have such big hearts and someone else be so cruel as to hurt a defenseless dog? It's an answer we'll probably never know.

Hortencia might have found her "forever home," but there are plenty more -- Cameo saw the six to eight tiny purebred miniature poodles on her latest trip -- at the humane association that need a new family. Or visit a shelter near you.