Lucky pup’s best week ever

Ariadne's first sleepover hosted by TV star Mayim Bialik was extra-special, and then things got even better.

By Sarah Thornton

June 29, 2021

Special visitors to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary recently played host to one lucky pup on her first sleepover. Ariadne made quite the impression on her new human friends and rubbed noses with a real-life celebrity. And that was just the beginning of her best week ever.

Actress Mayim Bialik, star of the Fox television series Call Me Kat, was at the Sanctuary with her sons after the younger of the two, Frederick, picked Best Friends as the charity for his bar mitzvah. They spent time with animals from across the canyon, taking cats on stroller rides, chatting with parrots, feeding bunnies and making all kinds of fuzzy new friends.

Just as they were wrapping up their visit to Dogtown, they met Ariadne, a sweet young pooch who instantly stole their hearts. “The kids really liked her and asked if she could be their sleepover dog. It was her first sleepover,” says Kira Ikeda, a Best Friends experience coordinator who guided their trip through the Sanctuary. That night, Ariadne was a superstar in her own right.

Ariadne the dog, standing outside on a paver, with her ears upright and mouth open in a smile with tongue out

“Since I have never had a dog, this was a huge learning experience for me,” Mayim says. “Ariadne was eager to please, loving, trusting and adorable. She was alert to our movements and needs, but also was respectful when we showed her what behavior was OK and what wasn't. She slept on the bed with me and needed body contact all night, which I was happy to provide.”

They adored the affectionate dog and bringing her back in the morning was tougher than expected. There were definitely tears. But, like we said, the sleepover was just the beginning of Ariadne’s best week ever. Not long after her amazing night out, another family met her, fell in love and took her home. And when we told Mayim the good news, those bittersweet tears were back again.

“I cried again when I heard she found her forever home,” Mayim says. “She is so full of love and wants to be someone's buddy so badly. I wish it could have been me, but I am so thrilled we made a match for her with her forever family.”

Ariadne the dog, with her front paws and head over the top of a half door