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Pup’s Rescue Journey Goes Viral on TikTok and Warms Hearts

A sweet video of a rescue dog learning how to trust her new parents over the course of her rescue is warming the hearts of the internet.

@tinytassu
Can’t believe we got to see this side of her so fast 😭❤️ #adoptdontshop #rescuedogsoftiktok

♬ Here With Me – d4vd

When rescue dogs are adopted into new homes, they may experience stress and anxiety as they adjust to their new surroundings and new human family. Some rescue dogs can take months and even years to trust their new humans but Tassu the Romanian rescue dog was able to trust her new parents in just a few days.

Tassu’s parents, Pinja Papinsaari and Tom Knecht, shared a video on TikTok showing videos from when they first brought Tassu home and what the pup is like now that she is comfortable in her home. In just a week, Tassu can be seen running through the snow outside of her home in Sweden and enjoying belly rubs from her pawrents.

Newsweek reported that Papinsaari found out about Tassu from a Facebook post by a rescue organization. After they read the description for the pup, they knew they needed to adopt her.

“She had been found on the street with her sister by a Romanian woman running a shelter who took them in,” Papinsaari told Newsweek. “The description of Tassu made us feel like she could be the dog we’ve been looking for; loving, kind, and also playful. Adopting a rescue felt very important to us because there are so many problems with overbreeding dogs and strays in the world.

“When we first got Tassu, she was completely paralyzed by shock and fear. She had traveled for a couple of days with a bunch of other dogs, so arriving in the middle of the night and being surrounded by strange people in the darkness must have been very scary. We held her and tried to give her treats, but she was too afraid to accept them initially.”

Once they got home, she made herself comfortable and refused to move from the floor for a few hours. They set up a camp as a family, in the beginning, to make sure she knew that she was safe there. The family slept with her on the floor, and they worked hard to give her as much positive reinforcement and praise as possible. This ended up paying off because she accepted them much quicker than the thought she would.

Now, it has been one year since Tassu was adopted and although she still can be anxious and get nervous at times, she is “learning to enjoy life”.

To follow more of Tassu and her adventures check out @tinytassu on TikTok!

We encourage everyone thinking of getting a pet to only adopt instead of shopping. Read more resources about adopting animals on One Green Planet, including 7 Reasons to Adopt Your Next Furry Best Friend, 5 Reasons Why Everyone Should Adopt a Pet, and These Heartwarming Before and After Pictures of Adopted Rescue Animals Will Make Your Day! Read tips for pet adoptions and what to consider before adopting an animal. We recommend using these apps to find shelter dogs near you!