Update on Stray Dog Found Wandering Streets with Stuffed Animal Is Giving People the Feels

When you take in a rescue dog from the animal shelter, it’s rare that you have any idea what their lives were like before coming to live with you. In some cases, there may be a smattering of information if the animal was surrendered by their original owners, but stray animals so often come in off the street with zero connection to the world they left behind.

But when this pit mix was first found wandering the streets of Texas, he was not entirely alone. In fact, he was clinging desperately to a small stuffed dog, carrying it around in his mouth for the small bit of comfort it could provide him in this cold, cruel world.

And now that he’s safe in foster care, he’s still as obsessed with it as ever.

Squishy is a young, black and white pittie mix who was found alone on the street near Waco, Texas and brought to an animal shelter there. The woman who first discovered him posted a heart-rending video about the animal, writing in the caption:

Related: Pit Bull Trying to Sneak Stuffie Into Mom’s Luggage Is the Sweetest Thing

“Found this sweet boy abandoned outside my house with his stuff. No tag, no collar, nothing.” After bringing her own dog inside, she tried to call the strange dog over to see if she could help him. “He was shy at first,” she wrote, “but slowly walked up and laid on me. It shows he once had a home. This is cruel. My heart aches for him.”

And she was clearly not alone. Once in the shelter, Squishy—as officials called him—allowed the animal to keep his comfort object, and even sewed up a section of the stuffed animal that had ben torn apart. The video went viral and was eventually discovered by Brooke, the dog’s new foster mom.

A Special Bond

“My foster dog is famous!” she writes over an adorable video of her handing the now-familiar stuffed dog to the adorable pup, who looks so happy and calm in her home. In other videos, she shows how sweet and gentle this adorable foster is, and how worthy of a forever home. In one, he’s shown chewing on his little stuffed animal and accidentally tearing off the tail, which she sews back on for him, because he never goes anywhere without his special friend.

The Plight of Foster Dogs

A rescued and fostered dog like Squishy is one of the lucky ones. Every day, many dogs are euthanized in shelters across the country for lack of space and budget, You can help ease the pressure on these organizations by offering to foster, or temporarily care for, dogs like Squishy while they wait for a family to take them in forever. For dogs taken in off the street with no information or connections, the clock is often ticking, and through no fault of their own, they are often doomed.

Thank goodness that Brooke was able to care for such a sweetheart as Squishy, and that he was allowed to keep his doll. We have no idea where this dog came from or what his sad story might be, but it’s clear that when he had nothing else in the world, at least he had this tiny object to love.

Looking for more PetHelpful updates? Follow us on YouTube for more entertaining videos.

Or, share your own adorable pet by submitting a video, and sign up for our newsletter for the latest pet updates and tips.