A social media video that captures how a dog fosterer is caring for her latest foster, a Chihuahua named Juliet, has tugged at heartstrings across the internet.
The viral video, which has been viewed more than 1.8 million times since it was first shared to TikTok on November 9, shows Juliet's anxious reaction to her foster carer's attempt at picking her up.
@mamma.gypsy Just to give u guys an idea of how terrified juliet is... and dale, tilly, Pepsi juliet and others also came this way.... patience and lots of love is the medicine 💖 it breaks my heart that juliet is this terrified but over time... I pray she learns... life isn't so painful and she finds the best furever family when she is ready. We don't just have to heal juliets physical wounds. We also need to help heal her emotional scars as well. Thank you to Boston Terrier & Pug Rescue of Southern Manitoba (BTPRSM) for giving juliet a second chance at life. One that's filled with love instead of fear , healing instead of pain.
♬ Last Hope - Steve Ralph
"Sometimes part of fostering is helping them heal their emotional scars and Juliet's run deep," the video's creator, who goes by @mamma.gypsy on the platform, shared in the post.
Juliet can be seen laying on her back and trying to nip her fosterer's hands when she's being picked up, indicating that she feels unsettled about the close contact due to a traumatic past.
The post is captioned: "Just to give you guys an idea of how terrified Juliet is. Patience and lots of love is the medicine. It breaks my heart that Juliet is this terrified, but over time, I pray she learns, [that] life isn't so painful and she finds the best fur-ever family when she is ready."
"We don't just have to heal Juliet's physical wounds. We also need to help heal her emotional scars as well," the fosterer added.
Juliet had been fostered from Boston Terrier and Pug Rescue of Southern Manitoba, in Winnipeg, Canada.
Just How Can You Support a Troubled Dog?
Newsweek consulted animal behaviorist, Leigh Siegfried, about how pet parents can help heal their pets' emotional wounds, particularly in the context of a rescue animal struggling to adjust to a domesticated situation.
"We as owners have the ability to view the stories of the dogs we care for. We can choose to see them as either as victims of their circumstances or as survivors," Siegfried told Newsweek.
"Owners should see their dogs, particularly if they have gone through some kind of trauma, as survivors and understand that what the dog may need from them to become trusting again may be much different than what they think the dog needs.
"The question of healing is a subjective one. More so, people have to fill their own cup in order to fill their dog's cup. The way to help a troubled dog may not look like a typical pet club trajectory. They are survivors not victims and if people operate from this point they'll have a better outcome," she added.
What Do the Comments Say?
Since it had been shared to the social media platform on November 9 by @mamma.gypsy, the TikTok post has been liked by over 286,000 users and commented on more than 2,100 times.
One user wrote: "Oh what an angel, [it] breaks my heart to see her so afraid. I'm so happy she's safe with you".
"I'm so glad she is safe with you," another user added.
The TikTok post can be seen here.
Newsweek reached out to @mamma.gypsy for more information via TikTok.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Melissa Fleur Afshar is a Newsweek Life and Trends Reporter based in London, United Kingdom.
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