How Kim Kardashian opened her heart to dogs with Princess

Kim Kardashian may not have liked dogs too much in her younger years, but the media mogul did open up her heart for a stray chihuahua. In the fourth season of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Kim rescued an older female chihuahua “roaming” around the nail salon she often visited. The poor thing would have succumbed to the elements, got hit by a car, or been killed by predators if it wasn’t for Kim’s act of kindness.

In the episode Must Love Dogs, Kim cared for a tiny chihuahua she named “Princess.” The name is somewhat of a callback to Kim’s nickname as a young girl, and if you remember her 2006 Myspace page, she referred to herself as a princess.

Kim carried Princess (cute move!) in her bag to the nearest animal shelter. When staff told her that Princess would be euthanized if no one picked her up in four days, the SKIMS founder took it upon her heart to take the little girl home and locate her human.

After Kris disapproved of allowing Princess to stay at her and Caitlyn’s (She was known as Bruce then) home, the SKIMS founder decided to take the little dog to her condo after a stop at a pet supply boutique to pick up some doggy essentials.

Kris advised her daughter to take Princess to the vet as she should get a check-up. Luckily, Kim took her mother’s advice and brought her over for a check-up. Unfortunately, Princess had many health issues, including a deadly uterus infection, requiring immediate surgery. Though not mentioned in the episode, Princess suffered from pyometra. This uterus disease occurs in females when bacteria enter the uterus after a heat cycle and when no pregnancy happens. The best solution to prevent pyometra and other reproductive diseases is spaying.

Although the surgery was successful, Princess would need 24-hour around-the-clock care. Kim was devastated that her busy schedule wouldn’t permit Princess’s needs. Kourtney was at Kim’s side when this happened, and being the big sister that she is, she said to Kim,

“You got to imagine that if you didn’t take her [Princess] home with you, she would’ve died out on the street.”

There is a bit of happy news in this story. The vet tech offered to adopt Princess so she would have a chance at life. As for Kim, she took a Saturday to do some volunteer work at the shelter where she first took Princess.

“There’s so many amazing dogs here that could really use and deserve a loving home,” the KKW beauty founded said of her experience.

We couldn’t agree more.

Where is Princess now?

As Must Love Dogs aired in 2010 and was filmed in 2009, Princess likely crossed the “Rainbow Bridge.” While this is indeed soul-crushing, her time on Earth was meaningful and impacted people’s lives. Following the episode’s airing, Kim responded to a fan who asked about the little dog.

To help save an animal’s life, check with your local shelter for adoption and volunteer opportunities.