Tears as Dog Almost Euthanized Now Enjoys Watching 'Say Yes to the Dress'

A rescue dog who was almost put down by a shelter he was staying at because of his medical condition has melted hearts online after going viral for enjoying his new life with his foster family.

In the viral clip, shared on TikTok on Sunday under the username Thefosterpup_tales, the nine-month-old pup called Thumper can be seen sitting with his back right up on the floor, watching his favorite TV show while wiggling his tail in excitement.

The heartwarming clip comes with a caption that says: "POV. 2 weeks ago you were about to be euthanized and now you need to know if she'll say YES TO THE DRESS." Followed by: "The way he's sitting and wagging his tail. his life sure has changed hasn't it?"

Thumper's foster mom, Katie Balla, told Newsweek that he was found on the side of the freeway by California Highway Patrol, who took him to Riverside County Shelter, where it was deemed he was a stray with medical disabilities. Due to severe overpopulation, and lack of resources (fosters, etc), he was put on the euthanasia list.

"Unfortunately this occurs much more than people realize," she said. "With the help of some local rescuers who got the word out, The Animal Pad rescue of San Diego agreed to take him in and take on his medical responsibilities. He was less than 24 hours away from his scheduled euthanasia at that point. I am a foster through The Animal Pad, a nonprofit animal rescue, and so I offered to bring him home to my house while he decompressed and we got him to his medical appointments and showed him the love he deserves.

"He is the 25th foster dog who has been through my house in some way in the last two-ish years. He already has an adopter lined up who will be taking over his care in a week. He'll have been with me and my family for one month."

Because many users who watched the clip couldn't help but wonder why Thumper was wearing socks, Balla explained they are grip socks that prevent him from sliding on the hard floors, due to the condition of his spine (which was deemed to be congenital after being checked by the neurologist). That's also why he's sitting the way he is, said Balla.

Dogs are our most loyal companions, they're always there for us when we need them, and if they had their way they would never leave our side. Yet dog owners in this country still abandon millions of pups every year, some of which end up being euthanized.

Every year approximately 3.1 million companion dogs enter U.S. animal shelters nationwide, and only 2 million of those get adopted, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). About 710,000 are safely returned to their owners.

Each year, approximately 390,000 shelter dogs are euthanized, reports the ASPCA. The number of dogs and cats euthanized in U.S. shelters annually has declined from approximately 2.6 million in 2011, thanks to an increase in the percentage of animals adopted and an increase in the number of stray animals successfully returned to their owners.

The video quickly went viral on TikTok, attracting users from across the platform. It has so far received over 770,300 views and 95,200 likes.

One user, Leslie Koetters, commented: "Is he wearing socks???? I love him." And Court6 said: "Hello! That is me on the tv! Lol." Malem added: "He couldn't leave without knowing."

Vina wrote: "This just made my day." And SBG said: "This is the cutest thing ever." tffnycm added: "He looks like the dog from the movie Labyrinth lol."

Another user, Me, my Doods and I, commented: "Living the American dream." And Jeandre0 said: "The laughing sound is giving so much."

Newsweek reached out to Thefosterpup_tales for comment via TikTok chat. We could not verify the details of the case.

Update 6/02/23 5:16 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with comments from the original poster, Katie Balla, and new pictures.

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