A woman has melted hearts online after sharing the incredible difference just six weeks can make in a foster dog’s life.
When Jaimie Delaney heard about 100 dogs who were rescued from a hoarding situation in Brooklyn by the New York City Animal Care Center, she knew she had to help. She received a text message from the manager of the Muddy Paws Rescue Foster Program, and Delaney, 29, immediately agreed to foster one of the dogs.
That’s when she met Phil, a terrier who is believed to be around 6 years old.
It was clear from the start that Phil had endured trauma and had very little (if any) interaction with people. Delaney, of Brooklyn, New York, told Newsweek that the foster dog was “incredible fearful” and mostly wanted to hide when she took him in.
“It’s believed he hadn’t been handled by people before, so he was very afraid to be touched,” Delaney said. “Even if I looked at him, he would hide. The first day, he was sedated, so I was able to give him a bath because he was filthy. That’s when I noticed he had sores all over his back legs from urine scalding (his skin and hair were caked with urine for so long, leading to skin breakdown and infection).”
After a few days, Phil seemed to become slightly more at ease. Delaney believes that her two cats and two dogs “really helped him” to grow in confidence. Phil would often want to play with the dogs, and he saw how comfortable the others pets were around Delaney, which helped him learn to trust her too.
A week after his arrival (and after undergoing two veterinary procedures to resolve his infection), Phil was finally ready to roam Delaney’s home freely. Once he took that leap, he didn’t look back.
Delaney said: “Phil was still a nervous dog, and likely always will be after the years of trauma he endured, but he was excited to see me in the morning or when I came home, and he was playful with other animals. He was still uncertain about human touch, but he liked to lie next to me on the couch.
“Both of my dogs helped Phil differently. My older dog, Hank, is very calm and generally sleepy so Phil would come to him for comfort. My younger dog, Rooster, is playful and rambunctious so that helped him open up a lot and learn to be a dog,” she continued.
Phil was with his foster family for six weeks before being adopted. He made great improvements during their time together and was like a totally different dog by the end of it. He’s doing amazing in his forever home already and has another dog to play with all the time.
Delaney shared a video on TikTok (@jaimdelane) documenting the journey that Phil went on during those six weeks. The clip has delighted the internet, leading to more than 22,900 views and over 5,600 likes on TikTok at the time of writing.
At the start of the video, Phil looks nervous and timid. But by the end, the footage shows him playing excitedly with his four-legged bestie.
Sharing Phil’s journey on social media was a special experience for Delaney, and she was so moved to see how people “rallied around him.”
She told Newsweek: “I hope people see cases like Phil and feel inspired to foster. There are unfortunately thousands of dogs just like him, of all shapes, sizes, ages that need someone to give them a chance at happiness and love.
“In my experience with fostering, they give it back tenfold. No matter where you’re located, there is a rescue or a shelter that needs help, so if Phil has touched your heart, please get involved.”
With over 140 comments on the TikTok post so far, social media users have hailed Phil’s wonderful transformation.
One comment reads: “Thank for this lovely update on Phil! So happy he has a best friend.”
Another TikTok user wrote: “This makes my heart so happy.”
While another person replied: “He went from existing to living, and I love that for him.”
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The post Dog Saved From Hoarding Case, 6 Weeks Later Everything Is Different appeared first on Newsweek.
