Hearts have been melted by the incredible transformation of a “scared and timid” puppy.
When dog owner Katie Markovic, 39, was scrolling through Facebook in January, she was stopped in her tracks by a picture of Lily, a Belgian Malinois in a shelter who needed a home. The post was shared by a page Markovic has followed for a while, Malinois and Dutch Shepherd Rescue (M.A.D), and she instantly knew she had to help.
Markovic, from Chicago, told Newsweek that Lily looked “so scared and hopeless” in the picture, which completely broke her heart. Without hesitation, she headed over to the rescue center to meet Lily herself. The pup was estimated to be around 5 months old and thought to be a product of backyard breeding.
“I was drawn to her by my love for the Malinois breed, and I just thought to myself, how could anyone give her away? She’s the sweetest thing,” Markovic said.
She couldn’t bear the thought of Lily staying in the shelter, so Markovic, who already owns a Malinois and a pit bull mix, offered to foster her. It was clear that she needed to be in a more comfortable environment where she could thrive, and Markovic knew she could offer that.
Lily settled in perfectly to her foster home, where she was adored by Markovic, her husband, and her two children (aged 8 and 11). She also quickly became friends with the other dogs, and Markovic told Newsweek that Lily “felt like a family member right away.”
She continued: “We were very lucky that she settled in really easily. She was an absolute angel with my kids and she fit right into our pack of dogs as well.”
Markovic took Lily to the vet as they believed she may have kennel cough, but thankfully she was in good health overall and didn’t need any other treatment.
Markovic shared a post on TikTok (@hera_malinois) that revealed why she couldn’t help but foster Lily. The clip has amassed plenty of attention, leading to more than 87,000 views and over 12,900 likes at the time of writing.
By posting Lily’s story online, Markovic hopes it will encourage more people to open their homes to a foster animal. Markovic said it’s been “the best decision” she could have made, and she hopes to foster many more times.
Of course, as with any foster, it was only a temporary arrangement. As a result of all the attention and interest that Lily received, she has now found her forever family in Dickson, Tennessee.
“The online response was incredible, so many people thanked me for saving her or urged me to keep her,” Markovic said. “I hope this helps shine a light on fostering and shows that anyone can do it, even if they think they can’t. It’s challenging, but so worth it.”
She continued: “Please consider checking out your local animal control. Places like Chicago Animal Care and Control where Lily came from have been overwhelmed with dog and cat intakes this past month. Rescues can’t save lives without fosters.”
With 170 comments on the TikTok post, social media users praised Markovic for giving Lily a loving home until she found her forever family.
One comment reads: “Always good to [see] their personality come out after they’ve been in a shelter.”
Another TikTok user wrote: “As a mal momma of 3, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. She just needed a chance.”
A different person commented: “I love that you did this for lily and showed her what a good loving family is.”
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