The moment a dog finally felt comfortable enough in her foster home melted people’s hearts and gained over 2.5 million views on TikTok.
Foster or adopted dogs are often timid when entering new environments. Perhaps they were abused before getting rescued and need time to adjust or they are decompressing from life at an animal shelter.
TikTok user @kendrabrewer826 knew her foster dog, Cinnamon, was going to need time to feel comfortable. Instead of asking for love and attention in her temporary foster home, Cinnamon would stay in her crate because it was her safe space. But an October 11 video showed Cinnamon finally turning a corner.
A home security camera captured Cinnamon leaving her crate for the first time on her own. Surprised to see Cinnamon, the foster mom stopped what she was doing, put down an object she held and gave Cinnamon endless pets. It was all praise for Cinnamon’s bravery.
Cinnamon looked overjoyed with the worship she was receiving as her tail wagged a hundred miles a minute. She didn’t want the petting to stop either. The foster owner told Newsweek via TikTok that she reassured Cinnamon she was a good girl.
She recalls saying something along the lines: “Oh my goodness, you came out of your crate on your own? Good girl. See, we aren’t scary. It’s ok to come out.”
Part of the caption reads: “So proud of this milestone for Cinnamon! This is why fostering is so helpful. You prepare these dogs for their forever homes.”
@kendrabrewer826/TikTok
Getting pets comfortable in foster homes often helps get them adopted sooner.
It can help with socialization, behavioral problems and decrease stress. An article from Adopt a Pet reported that a study found that fostered dogs were less likely to be returned to shelters. These dogs also benefit from outings to parks and restaurants as it exposes them to potential adopters.
Her confidence will only continue to grow, especially now that she was adopted from the Humane Society of North Texas during an adoption event on October 18 at Subaru Grapevine.
Newsweek reached out to @kendrabrewer826 via TikTok for additional information.
TikTok users flooded the video with nearly 510,000 likes and 1,500 comments. They were thrilled to see Cinnamon turning a corner and realizing she was safe and sound with her foster family.
“You can tell in her mind she was taking a risk hoping it wouldn’t be a consequence after. Bless her sweet baby heart,” pointed out a viewer.
Another added: “Awwww the way you gave her so much praise and encouragement. She is so proud.”
A third person said: “Gaining the love and trust of a scared animal is life-changing.”
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to [email protected] with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
