Dog Everyone 'Falls in Love' With Now Seeks Home After Rescue From Streets

Chaplin the former stray has been living in an animal-rescue shelter for two years. Despite his agonizingly long wait for a forever home, Chaplin is still warm with volunteers and members of the public alike.

Dutch hair-salon owner, Sanne, enjoys volunteering at animal-rescue shelters across the world and documenting the process on her social-media accounts, @sannejjj.

The animal lover came across Chaplin at Animal Rescue Algarve in Portugal, and told Newsweek how the former stray is waiting for his turn to be placed with loving owners. She shared a short clip of the dog, whom she described as being friendly with other animals. In the footage, Chaplin stares longingly at the outside world from the confines of his kennel crate.

The social-media video, which has been viewed more than 57,500 times since it was shared to TikTok on December 8, introduced viewers online to the sweet dog and his gentle smile. The viral clip has been liked by over 10,400 TikTok users to date.

"Chaplin is one of the dogs who has been in the shelter for a very long time," Sanne said. "He watches when friends go to their new families while he stays behind, waiting for his turn. Chaplin was found on the street; he's shy at first and needs a little bit of time to get to know you, but then he can be quite cuddly.

"He walks perfectly on the leash, although he gets nervous when putting it on and taking it off! He loves to come and sit on your lap to be petted. Every volunteer falls in love with him, but unfortunately, he hasn't found his forever family yet," Sanne added.

Animal Rescue Algarve is an animal-rescue shelter located in Loulé, Portugal—one of the country's famed tourist hotspots.

Dogs have always been a passion of Sanne's. The hair-salon owner turned shelter volunteer has visited numerous shelters across the globe. Her first visit to Animal Rescue Algarve came in May 2022, where she fell in love with the organization.

"I always travel with dog and cat food, and spent a lot of time with stray animals. Spending time with these animals, offering them love and care, not only brings light to their lives but also fills my heart with an immense sense of love," Sanne said.

"I think that Animal Rescue Algarve is a paradise for the animals it looks after until they find their forever family. The team does everything for the animals to give them a good life. You can see the immense love and passion they have for the work they do," Sanne added.

In November, the Portuguese rescue shelter managed to place 30 dogs with adoptive families, while paving way for 24 new companion animals to take their places.

Sanne said that Chaplin and the other dogs left behind as having large and comfortable kennels with both indoor and outdoor spaces, as well as access to parks and dog-friendly swimming pools.

Still, nothing can substitute for a loving and stable family home. Sanne said she hopes that Chaplin can find his, sooner rather than later.

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.