Blind Foster Puppy Learning to Use Halo for First Time Melts Hearts

A blind rescue puppy learning to use his halo device for the first time is making TikTok users emotional.

In a video shared to TikTok by user Jennifer Tripucka (@thejennifertrip), foster puppy Nelson can be seen wearing his new halo—a loop of wire attached to a harness—as he makes his way around his home.

He seems nervous at first, but it's not long before the tiny pup is confidently exploring his surroundings, with the halo preventing him from bumping into objects.

Since being posted on November 27, the cute clip has received 7.8 million views and more than 1.4 million likes.

What is a halo and how does it help dogs with sight loss?

According to handicappedpets.com, a halo is an "invaluable tool" for helping visually impaired dogs to safely move around. Comparing halos to a cane for humans, the device allows a dog to navigate their surroundings more easily, so they don't get lost or injure themselves.

Made from just a ring of wire and a harness, the wire section of the device fits above or around a dog's head—a correctly adjusted halo should line up with the dog's nose. The harness is fitted around the dog's chest, and should fit securely to prevent the wire section from wobbling.

Once the fit is perfected, the halo acts as a buffer, alerting dogs to walls, objects and other potential hazards, as well as giving them a better sense of where they are.

Although Nelson has received his halo as a puppy, the device is beneficial for dogs of all ages, along with pets that struggle with depth perception.

What is Nelson's condition?

In a video shared on November 28, Tripucka explained that Nelson suffers from optic nerve hypoplasia, where the optic nerve does not fully develop. As the optic nerve connects the back of the eye to the brain, the condition can lead to full or partial blindness.

"Basically, his optic nerve doesn't transmit the same way that a normal dog's does when they see images," she said in the clip. "He was born blind, but otherwise he's going to lead a pretty normal life."

A Pomeranian-Poodle-mix, Nelson was saved from a puppy mill. However, he was going to be euthanized because his vision loss meant the breeders couldn't sell him to pet shops. Tripucka is also fostering Nelson's brother, Milhouse, and is searching for good homes for both.

'Go Nelson, go!'

TikTok users couldn't get enough of adorable Nelson and his first halo adventure. The footage shows him trotting around Tripucka's kitchen and living room, with her declaring the experiment a "success." At one point, Nelson almost bumps into a kitchen cabinet, before gently bouncing back thanks to the halo.

Captioning the post "Go Nelson, go!" Tripucka's video has been shared almost 18,000 times.

"He's so stinkin adorable," nettielove75 said.

"I'm crying just at the idea that he might never know how cute he is," itscassieyeet wrote.

"Why am I crying he's perfect," Shayna RC said.

"God bless whoever invented this," Caroo Herrera Gaviria commented.

Nelson isn't the only rescue dog to get a second chance at life. A dog named Lucy went viral recently after being rescued from the meat trade in Bali, Indonesia, with her amazing transformation wowing people online, while a Jack Russell saved from a backyard breeder has found her forever home. Then there's Maggie, who was chained up and abandoned during a hurricane but has found happiness with her new owners.

Newsweek reached out to Jennifer Tripucka (@thejennifertrip) for comment.