Isabella, a one-year-old black Labrador, is a dog of a mysterious past who was transferred to the Humane Society of Broward County, located in Fort Lauderdale in Florida, from another shelter.
The pup couldn’t get used to the loud barking and the constant noise. She felt so stressed and terrified that she retreated to the corner of her kennel, stared at the floor, and trembled like a leaf in the wind.
The shelter staff felt heartbroken to see how frightened Isabella was. They hoped to relieve her stress and give her the help she needed.
Life In The Shelter
The staff and volunteers sat with Isabella in her kennel and spoke to her in a soft voice, trying to reassure her that everything was going to be alright.
As much as they tried to help her, Isabella’s shelter friends knew that it wasn’t enough.
Since they knew that only love can mend her heart and chase away her fears, the staff was determined to find her a foster home or a forever home where she could thrive.
On May 25th of 2025, they recorded a video of the terrified pup, cowering in the corner of her kennel, and posted it on TikTok.
“Our shelter’s most frightened dog…She hides in the corner and shakes with fear…So we go slow with her…When she finally feels safe she just wants to be close,” the Florida shelter wrote in the video.
The heartbreaking video showed a shelter volunteer sitting in the kennel with Isabella and giving her time to approach her. After getting some treats, Isabella gathered courage and slowly started moving towards her.
Once the pup got close to the volunteer, she nuzzled her head into her, looking for some affection.
The Florida shelter revealed in the caption that Isabella had surgery on one of her eyes and that she was getting treatment at the shelter’s clinic.
“Isabella needs out of the shelter in order to thrive. She is available for both adoption and fostering,” the caption read.
The News Everyone Was Waiting For
The shelter’s efforts to bring exposure to Isabella paid off.
Before long, the TikTok video went viral, and it caught the attention of her new owner, who knew right away that they wanted to adopt her.
They drove from Daytona Beach, Florida, to Fort Lauderdale to sign the adoption paperwork and bring Isabella to her new home.
The shelter staff shared the wonderful news on TikTok.
“UPDATE: Isabella has been adopted,” they wrote in a comment under the original video.
Everyone was overjoyed because the shy pup got a second shot at life.
I’m sure that Isabella will soon come out of her shell and turn into the happy pup she was always supposed to become.