After being saved from cruelty by TikTok user Maria Torres, the moment a rescued senior dog felt her bed for the first time has gone viral. The video has received over 400,000 views in less than a day, with Torres chronicling her rescue from her prior owner in real-time.
Bella, the puppy, is seen gingerly crawling onto her nice blanket before timidly snuggling into it, both shattering and warming the hearts of tens of thousands of people. She flinched every time her new owner petted her in the video. Bella’s reaction has altered dramatically since the video in just a few days, and she now feels comfortable at home, according to Torres.
The caption of the post reads, “She will never be hurt again.” Torres showed the process of rescuing Belle, who was formerly held by a lady who was caught beating her, in a video posted some months ago. Torres usually looks after cats, but after seeing footage of Belle getting hit in the street, he felt obliged to take her in as well. “I was handed a video by a neighbor of a local homeless woman beating a small puppy,” she wrote, before uploading a video showing the incident taking place on the side of the road.
“She was given to this woman by a family who had relocated and no longer wanted her. She’s in terrible shape and has most likely never visited a veterinarian “she continued. According to the video, Torres waited outside for hours for the woman to arrive before approaching her and offering to buy the puppy. “This is not a good neighborhood,” she continued, “and I have to keep my animals and family safe.”
She can be heard telling the woman that the abuse could land her in jail, so she offered to take the dog off her hands for money instead. “So I informed her of the alleged mistreatment and offered to purchase the dog,” she stated.
Belle had no teeth when she was rescued and required veterinary treatment, which has put a strain on Torres’ finances, as has the multitude of other local animals she’s rescued. Torres, who has two dogs and six cats, has requested her TikTok followers to donate to her vet bills as she cares for them.