By Alyce CollinsShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberAs a child, Grace Pilcher always dreamed of getting a pet—and to her surprise, that wish would come true eight times as she’s since saved seven dogs and even a cat.
Pilcher begged her parents for a dog for years, and they finally gave in when she was 15. She went to a local shelter with her dad in July 2025, and Pilcher got to meet several puppies, including one named Scout, who she was instantly drawn to.
When her dad finally agreed to let her adopt Scout, Pilcher was beyond grateful. She told Newsweek that it was “the best day” of her life and she felt so excited to start this next chapter as a pet owner.
But it turned out that adopting Scout was only just the beginning.
...In 2018, Pilcher also became the proud owner of Tess, a golden retriever who brought so much joy. “I was 18 when I got to bring Tess home. She is kindhearted, sweet, adventurous, loyal, easygoing and absolutely loves everyone,” Pilcher said.
In November 2020, she also added a cat into the mix as she found a stray kitten outside a Starbucks drive thru. She and her sister heard crying from a bush, and they worked tirelessly to locate the animals.
While her parents weren’t too happy about the addition, Pilcher couldn’t resist saving the kitten and giving her a forever home.
Just a matter of months later, in July 2021, two more dogs would be added to the fold.
“I have always been a night owl and I love going on drives. On July 28, 2021, I went on a drive at about 4:30 a.m. through Jones, Oklahoma. I saw this really cool looking dog on the side of the road, and as I was slowing down to look, a cop pulled up. He told me there was another dog further down and they’d almost been hit a few times," she said.
“The bigger dog was scared, snarling and very hesitant. I pretended to have food and once he walked up, I slipped my lead around him. The little guy was a lot more difficult to catch. We ended up having to trap him on the bridge. Once I got them both in the car, the cop had asked if I could take them due to the shelter being full."
In the following weeks, Pilcher put out flyers, posted about the dogs on social media, and called local vets to report them as found. The dogs captured plenty of hearts, but no one recognized them. So, Biggie and Cooper became the latest additions to the Pilcher family.
Her rescue efforts continued as Pilcher also took in a senior chihuahua in April 2022. The dog, named Chi Chi, was found by one of her friends who couldn’t keep her, so Pilcher agreed to take her in (without telling her parents for a few days).
Chi Chi sadly passed away in 2025, as Pilcher tells Newsweek that she’s “very missed” by everyone.
...Despite having a whole pack of animals at home, Pilcher has continued saving more dogs. She saved Oakley in October 2023 after watching the dog get “thrown out of a car” near Lake Hefner. Then in 2025, she took in Muffin, another senior dog who was in terrible condition and severely underweight.
Pilcher is temporarily fostering Muffin with the hopes that her owner will claim her—but time will tell if she becomes a permanent fixture.
Now, Pilcher still has four dogs and a cat. She took to TikTok (@changedmyusername101) to share the remarkable story of how she rescued so many animals in the last 10 years, and it’s gone viral. In a matter of days, the TikTok post has generated over 946,600 views and 149,900 likes at the time of writing.
...The online reaction is beyond anything she expected, but Pilcher is so thankful for all the love and support she’s received from internet users. She hopes her experience will inspire others to consider rescuing a pet as they’re so grateful for love—but you don’t have to rescue eight of them.
“I’ve always loved animals. I’ve always pictured myself growing up and having pets, but in reality, I never thought I’d ever have a whole pack” Pilcher said. “They all get along great and they really do love each other. I do separate activities with each of them so they aren’t completely reliant on each other, but they prefer to be together.”
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