A seven-year-old boy living in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, showed his true love for Neil, the family dog he adopted from an animal shelter. Neil had been mistreated by his previous owners in the past, and the boy was seen comforting him, assuring him that he was now safe in his new home .
This moment can be seen in a video posted to the TikTok profile @the_crazyzoo on March 8th. The boy’s mother caught him petting the dog curled up on the couch. The little boy comforted the pet with words of support .
The boy had always wanted a dog, and when the family saw that the local rescue center, Companion Animal Alliance, had lowered the adoption fee to $15, they adopted Neil. The best part was that the boy paid the fee with his own savings.
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Many shelters and rescues in the US charge this adoption fee, as it helps cover the costs of exams, vaccinations, and spay/neuter treatments for the animal.
Furthermore, people who pay this amount indicate that they are genuinely interested in adopting and caring for the animal.
In the video description, the boy’s mother said that the dog was taken from his owners due to abuse, he was covered in burns on his body.
The woman (who asked not to be identified) told Newsweek that when the family went to the shelter, they immediately saw Neil and thought he was a very well-behaved dog. They fell in love with him and took him home. Now Neil is the little boy’s best friend .
“Neil is settling in well and is part of the family. My son always reminds us that Neil is his dog and he will take care of him,” he said.
The dog was adopted in early 2022, but he still carries trauma from what he experienced, and it may take years for him to feel welcomed into his home. That’s why the boy insists that he’s now safe.
“My son wanted to reassure him that he would be loved and kept safe, and it melted my heart,” the mother wrote in the post.
The post reached more than 1.7 million views, 326 thousand reactions and thousands of comments full of affection.
“His tail wagged when his son put his hand on it! He knows he is safe and loved to the fullest!” commented one.
“No one is talking about him resting his hand on the dog and then closing his eyes to make it a more personal moment for the two of them,” another noted.
