15 Mar 2026 Pets of the Month: Phoebe and Finneas

By Lori Dunn

Like many dogs, Phoebe and Finneas enjoy the simple things in life. Phoebe loves cuddling with her plush salmon while Finneas enjoys playing with his tennis ball and barking in excitement when sports are on TV. They both enjoy a good pup cup.

And everything is better when they do it together.

Phoebe and Finneas are both rescues that were adopted by the Francis family who live in Conway. And like many dogs, this duo have their humans wrapped around their paws.

“They run the show,” said Alicia Francis. “They are so fun to watch. They are playing all the time and it’s awesome to see them interact.”

Phoebe is a rescue doodle mix who was adopted from a foster family in December 2023 when she was 2. Her entire story is unknown, but her beginning was apparently a rough one. “She had been severely malnourished, and her hair was matted down to her skin. She was under 40 pounds, and you could see her ribs,” Francis said.

However, it was still love at first sight for Phoebe and the Francis family.

“We were immediately struck with her, as much as she was struck with us. We worked to get her healthy. We have had her a little over two years now, and she is a good weight,” Francis said.

Both dogs are now important members of the Francis family. Alicia and husband Kevin have a daughter Sophie, 20, a student at UCA, and two adult sons. One of their sons is married and has dogs that Alicia and Kevin consider “grand dogs.”

The family has always been dog lovers, though Alicia and Sophie have allergies that make certain breeds of dogs hard for them to be around. Prior to adopting Phoebe and Finneas, the family had two West Highland terriers, also known as Westies, who were named Charlie and Chaplin.

“At the time we adopted Phoebe, Charlie had passed away and Chaplin needed a friend,” Francis said. “Our son would visit with his dogs, and Chaplin would play with them. He seemed sad after they left.” Sadly, Chaplin passed away last summer. He lived a long life but his passing left a void, especially with Sophie. “We had Chaplin since our daughter was 6, so it was very hard on her. He was her buddy,” Francis said. Phoebe also missed Chaplin. “She did grieve him, she knew something was off.”

Toward the end of the year, Sophie approached her parents and said maybe it was time to start looking for another dog. “We felt pretty confident Phoebe would be OK with a new dog,” Francis said. “We liked the idea of rescues, so we contacted a friend who has Scotties and were pointed to Facebook groups for Scottie adoptions. We saw an 11-week-old puppy that had been found on the streets of St. Louis.”

The family submitted an application but were aware that there was a lot of competition in the adoption process. They underwent a home inspection and then learned around Christmas that they would be able to adopt the puppy. They decided to name him Finneas. The Scottish terrier rescue was adopted in January.

“Right after the new year, we were able to bring Finn home. He and Phoebe are completely inseparable. He’s still very much a puppy, and they play-fight a lot. Phoebe is a lot bigger, but Finn never lets that hold him back. He’s ferocious, but it’s all in good fun. More than anything, he has stolen our hearts and Phoebe’s too,” Francis said.

The dogs do more than play together. They have separate bowls but eat dinner side by side with no issues. They also watch TV with their family. Finneas, especially, enjoys watching sports. “He walks up to the TV and barks. He is just mesmerized,” Francis said.

The family believes their dogs make life brighter and can’t imagine their home without cold noses and warm fur. Even when the fur has to be swept off the floor. “Humans are not good enough for dogs. I am just so honored to be mom to these fur babies. I show them off every chance I get,” Francis said.