Hearts Break as Foster Dog Realizes She Can Finally Be Comfy in New Home

Newsweek

a day ago

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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After months of smelling her bed and then walking away, thinking she wasn't allowed to be comfy, a foster dog named Meadow finally took her first nap on it, and internet users can't cope with the heartwarming footage.
A viral TikTok video shared in June by the pup's foster carer, Shelsey Gonzales, under the username @thefatdog, shows the dog making herself comfortable on her bed for the very first time. She is wiggling her tail and rolling over on her back like it is the best day of her life.
"POV [point of view]: My foster just realized she's allowed to be comfy," reads layover text in the clip.
Gonzales, 29 years old from South Texas, told Newsweek that Meadow is estimated to be a 2-year-old Labrador retriever mix, who, after spending months thinking that she wasn't allowed to sleep on the bed, recently just realized that she actually is.
From left: Screenshots of the viral clip show Meadow slowly getting comfortable laying on her bed.
From left: Screenshots of the viral clip show Meadow slowly getting comfortable laying on her bed.
@thefatdog
"For months, she would sniff the dog beds but then just walk away and sleep right in front of them. She finally got the courage to step in a dog bed, but then she immediately jumped right out like she did something wrong," Gonzales said.
"After realizing she wasn't in trouble, she attempted again. She started to relax her body and take in the new area. She later got back in the bed with so much more confidence, a pure 'look at me' moment," Gonzales added.
Meadow arrived at Saving South Texas last year, after being found homeless and pregnant with 10 puppies. While one sadly passed, the shelter managed to re-home all the nine remaining ones.
Meadow, however, didn't find a home, and so she is staying with Gonzales, as a foster.
"Meadow has likely spent her entire life on the streets in fight or flight mode. This is her first experience in a real home. She needed time to decompress and learn that she can trust us," Gonzales said.
"We've been fostering Meadow since April 13, 2025. She came to us extremely scared and shutdown. She was so scared she didn't use the bathroom for three days. I sat in silence with her and hand-fed her meals so I could start to gain some trust with her. We rewarded her for everything so she knew it was OK.
"For example, when she would come out of her crate, we'd give her a reward. Walking on the leash, we'd reward every few steps; going potty outside, walking up to us. There are so many small details that are actually huge milestones for a scared dog."
Positive reinforcement, which is the training method above described by Gonzales, is the best way to train your pup, because it is incredibly effective and doesn't ruin the bond with you.
Dogs don't understand punishment, and so telling them off for their bad behaviors won't get you anywhere. Instead, they do understand praise and rewards; praising their good behaviors and ignoring the bad ones will make learning a lot easier on them.
Meadow is available for adoption now in Texas, and, while she is on heartworm treatment, any interested adopter can finish her course of medication at home, and it will be fully funded by the shelter. Meadow will be available for out-of-state adoptions after her treatment is over in August.
She is house- and crate-trained; she likes her space to relax but doesn't mind other animals around; and she is cat- and dog-friendly, although she needs her time to trust anyone, including humans.
"[Meadow is] a big foodie who always finishes her meals. She loves cuddling on the couch. She's overall a very mellow and laid back dog. Over these two months, we have never seen her run," Gonzales said.
"Even her time alone in the big backyard, she just sunbathes. We cannot wait to meet the person or family that falls madly in love with her."
The video quickly went viral on social media and it has so far received over 4.9 million views and more than 752,000 likes on the platform.
One user, User67889879, commented: "Sobbing at the tail wags and her rolling onto her back."
Galatia Kyriakou posted: "I want to have a calm civilized conversation with the previous owners."
Sophie added: "Don't know how people can foster, I'd end up with 50 dogs because I wouldn't want to let them go."
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