The moment a stray dog found her own forever home has melted hearts in a viral video on TikTok.
The clip, which was posted last week by user @idk.how.to.work.this.app and has over 900,000 views, featured a brown and white dog peacefully snoozing on a couch with the video’s text overlay reading: “This stray dog walked into my house unprovoked this morning when I opened the door to take the trash out…She has now been asleep on my couch for approximately 4 hours. Welcome home, I guess?”
The poster, who goes by Coco on TikTok, later introduced the dog as Cookie in a follow-up video where the pup was seen happily enjoying breakfast after a good night’s sleep.
Coco shared more details about Cookie’s journey in a subsequent video, revealing she had been spotted on the side of the road several times over the past month. Living in a small community of just 238 people, Coco explained that stray animals are sadly a common sight, often abandoned by passing drivers.
@idk.how.to.work.this.app
Who rescued who? #creatorsearchinsights #dog #dogsoftiktok #animallover #animalsoftiktok #stray #straydog #fyp
? Lovable and funny animals – ALOHI STYLE
“I really hoped she belonged to someone,” Coco said in the video, explaining that neighbors had knocked on doors to check for an owner. “Unfortunately, it seems like no one claimed her.”
It was then that the woman realized that Cookie had been seeking refuge on their porch for weeks, evidenced by displaced and dirty cushions.
The bond formed when Cookie, scared but hopeful, whined for attention one night as Coco let another rescue dog, Muffin, outside. “I fed her and loved on her, and I guess she loved me back,” she said.
Newsweek reached out to @idk.how.to.work.this.app via TikTok for comment.
A picture of the stray dog who let herself into the house and relaxed on the couch.
A picture of the stray dog who let herself into the house and relaxed on the couch.
@idk.how.to.work.this.app/TikTok
In the first half of 2024, 3.12 million animals entered U.S. shelters, according to Shelter Animals Count, a decrease from the same period in 2023. Despite this, the number of animals in shelters remains high—in the first half of 2024, 322,000 more pets entered shelters than exited them.
Around 369,000 animals experienced non-live outcomes—including euthanasia, death in care, and being lost in care—in the first half of 2024, a slight decrease of 5 percent compared to 2023.
While stray dog and cat intakes decreased overall in the first half of 2024 when compared to the previous year, strays still made up 56 percent of all shelter intakes.
This is far from the first time Coco’s family has offered kindness to stray animals, other rescues taken in include a cat affectionately called “Momma Cat,” a pig named Oreo, and a horse dubbed David Hasselhoof.
In the comments section on TikTok, people shared their joy at seeing the dog adopted. “You’ve been adopted!! You must be a good hooman,” wrote Hyla Cohen.
While nettielove75 wrote: “Poor baby is exhausted! Thank you for being an absolute ANGEL!!”
“She was needing a good uninterrupted sleep where she felt safe. Looks like she found her home,” said lawandasanders21.
Do you have funny or 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.
Stray Dog Walks Into Woman’s House, She Knows What to Do: ‘Welcome Home’
