Doug the Pug Is Already In Love and 'Pug Piling' with His New Rescue Dog Sister Dory (Exclusive)
Doug the Pug introduced his new sister, a rescue pug named Dory, to his millions of followers in May
Doug the Pug introduced his new sister, Dory, to his over 18 million social media followers on May 23
Dory the pug is a rescue dog from Tiny Paws Pug Rescue in California
Doug and Dory quickly connected after moving in together and enjoy laying on each other, also known as "pug piling"
Doug the Pug is sharing the spotlight now and is happy to do it.
The internet-famous canine — who has gone on to start a foundation, a holistic dog care company, and a film career — recently took on the new role of brother to a rescue pug named Dory.
Earlier this year, Doug's pet parents, Leslie Mosier and Rob Chianelli, began thinking about getting a canine friend for their 12-year-old pug to bring a little extra joy to their family.
"Rob, was diagnosed with MS [multiple sclerosis] back in September, and it rocked our family. It was a really tough winter and just an adjustment. Through all of that, we realized we were ready to add some happiness to our lives," Mosier tells PEOPLE.
The couple knew Doug was ready too, after watching the pug quickly befriend a dog the family was pet-sitting, Birdie the Boston terrier. Mosier and Chianelli also knew they wanted to adopt a dog from a rescue and "use our platform to show what good you can do," Mosier says.
Doug's dog mom adds that she started following "a bunch of pug rescues on Instagram" this year, "just putting it out there, like when I see the right one, I'll know."
Related: Doug the Pug's 'Frozen' Parody Swaps 'Let It Go' with 'Chubby Pug' — and It's Adorable
In May, Mosier, Chianelli, and Doug had that moment when they spotted an adoptable pug on Tiny Paws Pug Rescue's Instagram.
"I'm telling you, the moment I saw her picture, it stopped me in my tracks because I thought it was an old picture of Doug," Mosier says of seeing Dory's photo for the first time.
The family contacted the rescue and Tiny Paws put them in touch with Dory's foster family. Doug and his pet parents learned that Tiny Paws rescued Dory after she was found dumped in a field in California after recently having a litter of puppies.
The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!
"It's just horrific," Mosier says of the treatment Dory endured before her rescue. After learning more about the pug, estimated to be a year old, Mosier and Chianelli knew they wanted to give Dory "a good and safe home."
After Tiny Paws approved the adoption, the founder of Tiny Paws Pug Rescue flew from San Francisco to Doug's home in Nashville to drop Dory off.
After officially meeting her in person, the whole family fell even more in love with Dory. On May 23, Doug shared the news he welcomed a rescue sister on social media with his over 18 million followers, and his fans quickly became enamored with Dory, too.
"Doug's followers have asked for years if we'll get him a sibling. So out of the blue, to just be like, 'Here's his sibling,' everyone is so excited," Mosier says of the reaction.
Dory has seamlessly slipped into the role of sister to a famous dog. Several days after her adoption, Dory accompanied Doug on a meet-and-greet with musical artist G Flip.
"She did exactly what Doug would've done in those situations. She was so chill. She walked right up to people and got in their laps," Mosier says of Dory's first brush with fame. "They were sound-checking drums in the beginning and didn't care."
"We were joking about it because, in her first few days with us, she already met a rock star," she adds.
Mosier and Chianelli feel fortunate to be able to give Dory a life full of exciting and fulfilling firsts.
Related: Social Media Superstar Doug the Pug Achieves 'Dream' of Creating His Own Animated Series
"It's her first time home, somewhere where she's not leaving. I swear she knows. It's honestly a spiritual experience to watch because of how many coincidences there were leading up to this and how much we needed her in this tough time, and she needed us. It feels like the perfect match," Mosier says, adding that "every single day," she and Rob "look at each other and say, 'I'm so happy.'"
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
It's hard not to feel joy when watching Dory and Doug interact. Even though the dogs have only known each other for a few days, they are already "pug piling," a pug community term for when the dogs "lay on top of each other."
Doug also enjoys having Dory's company when he barks at the UPS delivery person, follows the family chickens around the backyard, and kisses his pet parents.
The family is excited to promote pet adoption and animal rescue with Dory as a poster child for the fantastic pets available through rescues and shelters.
For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!
Read the original article on People.