The moment a dog finally felt comfortable enough in his foster home melted people’s hearts and received more than 2.5 million views on TikTok.

Foster or adopted dogs are often timid when entering a new environment. Perhaps they were abused before they were rescued and need time to adjust, or they are relaxing from life in an animal shelter.

TikTok user @kendrabrewer826 knew her foster dog Cinnamon would need time to feel comfortable. Instead of asking for love and attention in her temporary foster home, Cinnamon stayed in her crate because it was her safe place. But an Oct. 11 video showed Cinnamon had finally turned the corner.

A home security camera captured Cinnamon leaving her crate on her own for the first time. Surprised to see Cinnamon, her foster mom stopped what she was doing, put down the object she was holding, and gave Cinnamon endless pets. It was all praise for Cinnamon’s bravery.

Cinnamon looked very happy to be worshiped and her tail was wagging a hundred miles a minute. She didn’t want the caresses to stop either. The receptionist told Newsweek via TikTok, she assured Cinnamon that she was a good girl.

She remembers saying something like, “Oh my God, did you get out of the box by yourself? Good girl. See, we’re not scary. It’s okay to come out.”

Part of the caption reads: “So proud of this milestone for Cinnamon! This is why overexposure is so beneficial. You are preparing these dogs for their forever home.”

Keeping pets comfortable in foster homes often helps them get adopted earlier.
It can help with socialization, behavioral problems and reduce stress. An article in Adopt a Pet magazine reports that research has shown that adopted dogs are less likely to be returned to shelters. These dogs also benefit from trips to parks and restaurants as it introduces them to potential adopters.

Her confidence will only grow, especially now that she was adopted by the Humane Society of North Texas during an adoption event on Oct. 18 at Subaru Grapevine.

Newsweek reached out to @kendrabrewer826 via TikTok for more information.

TikTok users received almost 510,000 likes and 1,500 comments on the video. They were thrilled to see Cinnamon turn the corner and realize she was safe and sound with her foster family.

“In her opinion, you can say that she took a risk, hoping that there would be no consequences. Bless her sweet childish heart,” noted the viewer.

Another added: “Awww how you praised and encouraged her so much. She’s so proud.”

A third person said: “Winning the love and trust of a scared animal is life changing.”

Do you have funny and adorable videos or photos of your pet that you want to share? Send them to [email protected] with some details about your best friend and they could be featured in our Pet of the Week selection.