Viewers’ hearts are melting for a foster-turned-adopted dog who became unrecognizable five months after being rescued from an animal shelter.
Penelope, an American bully mixed breed, arrived at a Maryland shelter in early October before being transferred to Reed’s Rescue on October 12. Foster parent Brittany DeVan welcomed Penelope into her home almost immediately, despite the pup being severely sick.
“When she first came to us, she had aspirational pneumonia, a sick infection, was only 29 pounds (underweight), had entropion in both eyes, had a large mass on her back left leg, needed to be spayed since she had previously had puppies and had no clue how to be a dog,” DeVan told Newsweek via TikTok.
With Penelope’s medication not working, DeVan said she did not think the dog would pull through. However, patience paid off, and Penelope started getting better. She received her surgeries in November—spayed, her eyelids fixed and her mass removed, which turned out to be from trauma and not cancerous. Penelope was finally on the road to recovery.
DeVan shared in a March 7 TikTok video under her account @brittany_rescues how Penelope transformed in the five months after being brought into her home. However, DeVan said that it took only about a week for Penelope to start feeling comfortable.
A once-crying and -depressed dog finally learned to trust again. Now, Penelope is happily strutting down the street, knowing she is in her forever home after DeVan officially adopted her in December. Her night-and-day transformation makes her look unrecognizable. Penelope is a new dog, loving her second chance at life.
“She’s a completely changed dog from when we first got her!” DeVan said. “She’s thriving and SO happy with her life.”
DeVan said a lot of Penelope’s healing and learning to be a dog is down to her beloved French bulldog who has since passed. Once Penelope saw the Frenchie walking and enjoying being outside, then she herself started to become more comfortable.
“We think she was scared to be outside and assume she was kept in a crate all her life because of her webbed feet and crooked toes,” DeVan said. “Her paw pads were covered in really long hyperkeratosis as if she hadn’t been walking at all.”
DeVan said Penelope started feeling better when they gave her toys, noting she especially liked playing with balls and rubber toys. The family spent time walking the aisles of PetSmart and rewarded her with treats every few seconds, hoping to instill the idea that she was safe as she used to be scared to go in public.
While Penelope is still nervous around strangers, DeVan said the pup is “getting better.” Penelope also loves car rides, but the foster parent is still working on her dog’s leash-walking skills. Penelope currently wants to go on a walk only when other dogs are with her. The pup is most comfortable in the fenced-in yard at home.
Viewer Reactions
With the video receiving nearly 260,000 views and more than 55,000 likes as of Monday, TikTok viewers couldn’t believe Penelope’s unrecognizable transformation.
“That poor baby, look at that sweet face! Living her best life now!” said one user.
A second wrote: “Omg [oh my God] I’ve never seen a dog cry like this! So beautiful.”
A third added: “Stop my heart, I just wanna give that baby all the cuddles in the world. You are an absolute angel on this Earth and I hope everything in life goes your way and more.”
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