A social media video detailing how a spaniel puppy was so badly mistreated by a previous owner that her rescuers found she would soil herself when anyone approached has sparked tears and anger online.
In footage posted to TikTok by the West Norfolk RSPCA, a U.K.-based independent animal charity separate from the RSPCA, a tiny dog by the name of Rosie can be seen cowering in the corner of a shelter enclosure.
According to the West Norfolk RSPCA, Rosie and her mom, Jessie, were part of a group of spaniels who arrived at the charity's facilities a couple of weeks ago via the inspectorate, having been rescued from a life of unimaginable cruelty.
"Every dog was terrified, dirty, flea ridden and skinny," the charity said. "But poor little Rosie was by far the most terrified, she would scream and soil herself in terror when anyone approached."
Though the details of Rosie's prior experience remain unknown, even the seemingly simple act of entering a shelter like the one run by the West Norfolk RSPCA is likely to have initially had a detrimental effect.
A 2006 study from the journal Physiology and Behavior found dogs entering the shelter system had three times more of the stress hormone cortisol in their system than canines residing in a standard household.
But a little love and care in this kind of setting can go a long way. Another piece of research, published in the journal Applied Animal Behavior Science in 2018 highlighted this, with researchers finding just 15 minutes of one-on-one petting was enough to boost the overall well-being of a shelter dog.
For Rosie, that special care came courtesy of Emily Cole, the center manager at the West Norfolk RSPCA. Cole struck up a bond with the stricken pup and, thanks to a little love and kindness, was able to get Rosie to relax a little and open up. That extra special care helped her to realize she was finally safe.
Cole isn't able to disclose much information on how Rosie, her mom and her seven siblings were living before their rescue.
"As you can imagine it wasn't a good situation," Cole told Newsweek. "They had no socialization, training and they were not house trained either. They came into us via an RSPCA inspector and all nine were truly terrified of people and the outside world. We can only speculate as to why they were so petrified."
But what she has witnessed first hand through her own efforts and those of everyone else at West Norfolk RSPCA has been nothing short of remarkable.
"With lots of love and slow interactions and careful handling, they have all shown huge signs of improvement," Cole said. "With Rosie and her mother Jessie being one of the best transformations I've seen in my 14 years of rescue."
Proof of that can be seen on the clip, which ends with Rosie sitting in the lap of a shelter worker, having evidently warmed up to her surroundings.
The progress hasn't prevented many watching the footage on TikTok from expressing outrage at the situation though.
"Spaniels are the most loving dogs. How anyone could do this I don't know," one user wrote, with another commenting: "Oh my heart what these eyes have witnessed to cause such fear." A third, meanwhile, simply wrote: "people don't deserve dogs."
Though Rosie's story may have begun in the most distressing of ways, the good news is that it's already gotten a happy ending with her and her mom Jessie successfully adopted. They head off to their new home together this week.
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