'Bad' Rescue Dog That Just Needed Love Melts Hearts as She Finds New Home

A video of a rescue dog that was "in bad shape" before finding a new home has gone viral on TikTok, where it has received 417,000 views.

The footage shared by TikTok user @michelleparisalli showed a dog called Lucy wearing a hat labeled "Black Sheep" inside a car on a drive with her owners.

In a message overlaid on the video, the poster wrote: "We rescued Lucy the sheep dog from a Facebook page hoping to rehome her."

According to 2019 data compiled by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), around 4.1 million shelter animals are adopted each year, including 2 million dogs.

Among those that enter the shelters are "surrendered animals." Their owners can "no longer care for them due to financial, behavioral or other unforeseen barriers," the nonprofit said.

According to the TikToker, Lucy's previous owner said she was "just a bad dog." The prior owner allegedly said Lucy "likes to run off, chase other animals, jumped fences and was just hard to handle."

According to the poster, the pup had been "thrown outside" and was "malnourished, scared and just in bad shape."

The TikToker said: "We decided we would try and make her a part of our family. Turns out she just needed to be loved."

Heritage may explain some dog behaviors. "Often what we view as problem behavior is just a dog being a dog," veterinarians Ryan Llera and Lynn Buzhardt noted in an article for VCA Animal Hospitals, one of North America's largest animal-hospital chains.

These behaviors are "innate," Llera and Buzhardt said, adding that "long ago, dogs were bred to accomplish certain tasks."

For example, a border collie might chase bikes, as it was bred to herd sheep and "wants to corral the bicycle." A beagle may bark at a new scent or sound as it was bred to track and hunt, the veterinarians said.

Llera and Buzhardt added: "Some dogs repeat the survival skills of their ancestors that lived in the wild, so a Samoyed may dig a hole in the yard because he is trying to make a cool, comfortable bed outdoors.

"By examining some common dog behaviors and the instincts that underlie these behaviors, we can better understand how to defuse situations without punishing the dog for 'doing what comes naturally'," the veterinarians said.

The rescue dog in the latest viral video has melted the hearts of users on TikTok.

80sGirl | GenX posted: "I can't love this enough!!!" while user9516781260373 wrote: "She may have been trying to run from the family glad she is good hands now."

Apple User279329905 commented: "Beautiful little face she looks relaxed and happy."

Shaunie OConnor agreed, posting: "Her face says it's all," while Gill wrote: "Now she is living her best life."

User #1 Jeannie commented: "Absolutely love, love her outfit!!! She's found her perfect forever home."

Sharon wrote: "Gorgeous. She sure looks part of the family now. Thank you for giving her new life."

Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment via TikTok. This video has not been independently verified.

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