Dog Finds Forever Home After 640 Days — and Video of the Animal Taking ‘One Last Look Back’ at Shelter Staff Has Now Gone Viral

After a long wait, “Princess” Louise has found her forever home — and the 4-year-old terrier mix has gone viral on social media in the process. 

In an Instagram video that has attracted more than a million likes since June 22, staff members and volunteers at RG Cares Animal Shelter in New York can be seen cheering and handing off the dog to her new “person.”

“The way she took one last look back 🥹,” wrote @Rachels.Dogs and @FourLegsGoodNYNJ in the caption of their joint post. “Two weeks ago, the perfect applicant came along for our longest shelter resident, Louise. After a few meets, we knew this was her forever.”

“Louise’s person finally found her. 640 days of this princess waiting patiently, finally all paid off,” they continued in the caption. “Go get it, Louise. You waited long enough, sweetie!”

In the video — soundtracked by Good Neighbours’ “Home” — a tearful staff member walks Louise out of the shelter, passing other emotional staffers before handing the tail-wagging dog to her “person.”

As the individual walks the animal to the backseat of his car, Louise turns her head and gives one final glance at the people who cared for her for 640 days.

“To see her be overlooked so many times, and then to go viral for the world to see gives me so much hope for all the shelter dogs around the country who just need that ONE person to come along for them,” Rachel Oldenburger, the adoption and foster coordinator at Four Legs Good at Rockland Green CARES Animal Shelter in Pomona, N.Y., tells PEOPLE.

“Shelter dogs are fabulous dogs, and I hope Louise’s story inspires even just one person to go adopt a local shelter dog,” Oldenburger, 37, adds.

The viral video’s caption also stressed the importance of pet adoption.

“Our staff clapped her out to celebrate this huge win for Louise, but also to keep the hope alive that their people will come,” the caption said. “We have to keep showing up for them, but their people will eventually come.”

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“Please, please, please consider adopting a shelter dog. They need us more than ever and you quite literally are saving the life of a dog in need and inspiring the people who are writing the stories for the rest of their futures,” the caption added of the impact of the adoptions.