Woman Adopts Cute Shelter Puppy—and Is Shocked by What He Turns Into

A woman adopted an adorable puppy from her local shelter, unaware of his breed, only to discover later that he would grow into an unusual-looking, very large dog.

In 2024, dog owner Anna Winning adopted a puppy named Rolo from the Cork Dog Action Welfare Group (DAWG). She brought Rolo home when he was about 9 weeks old after her sister-in-law sent her a photo from a visit to the shelter. The moment Winning saw Rolo, she fell in love and knew she had to adopt him.

When Winning brought Rolo home from the shelter, she was unaware of his breed. As he continued to grow, she was stunned by his transformation. In DAWG's recent Facebook post, they shared photos of Rolo's transformation. His puppy photos show brown, tan, and white markings, along with large paws—a common sign that he would grow into a big dog.

Because Rolo was so small at the time, the shelter asked Winning and her husband if they were sure about adopting him, warning, "He's going to be big," Winning told Newsweek. "We didn't realize how right she'd be."

Many viewers left comments on the post admiring Rolo and taking guesses at what he might be. "So cute. Maybe hairy lurcher," one person wrote. Another wrote: "Def a bit of Saluki in the mix, he’s a beautiful boy." To learn more about Rolo's breed, Winning decided to do a DNA test. She revealed that Rolo is a mix of Saluki, greyhound, and 2 percent Scottish deerhound heritage.

Winning's shared with Newsweek that Rolo loves to run around and play in the park, and while he is fast, he has occasionally met his match.