Reaction of Rescue Dog Who ‘Never Had a Toy Before’ Picks His First

Every owner loves giving their pet their first experiences—be it their first walk, or maybe their first Puppuccino at Starbucks. But for this woman, the important moment came when she gave her new rescue dog her first toys.

After first picking up 3-year-old Rory from local animal control, dog owner Rachelle Carranza quickly fell in love with the wild pup, who was incredibly… feeling thin and afraid of people. But Carranza, 38, knows he can give her a loving forever home, as she said Newsweek that he “needs to be part of our family.”

The Californian has spent the last few weeks settling Rory into his new home, helping him gain weight, and most importantly, giving him a second chance at life. Carranza took the time to earn Rory’s trust and show him that people can be good, which is why he wants to reward the pup with his own toys. Rory’s reaction was pure joy, which Carranza admitted was heartbreaking to see, because it showed how much she had been deprived of.

“He obviously didn’t have a toy before and seemed unsure at first but then he picked his favourite, a cuddly bear toy, which remains his favorite today,” she said. “He still cries of happiness every time he plays with it.

“His reaction is beautiful and at the same time heartwarming. It’s beautiful because he’s so emotional and happy, and it’s heartbreaking because I know his life before us was full of neglect and sadness.”

Part of the reason Carranza chose to formally adopt Rory was because he saw how sad and broken he was at the shelter, so he knew it was unlikely anyone would take advantage of him. As someone who has owned wolfhounds and knows the breed restrictions, Carranza ran a DNA test to confirm Rory’s heritage, and it showed that he was indeed 60 percent Siberian husky and 40 percent German shepherd.

Although little is understood about Rory’s past life, Carranza believes that he was a backyard breeding dog, and either he ran away, or he was abandoned by his previous owners.

Sadly, Rory’s case is not an isolated incident, as shelters across the country are forced to take in countless animals every day. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals estimates that more than 6.3 million companion animals end up in shelters each year, 3.1 million of which are dogs. It’s thought that 2 million of those dogs are lucky enough to be adopted, but unfortunately many still haven’t found their happy ending.

Since bringing Rory into his home on October 5, Carranza has been sharing updates on his social media account (@loki_the_flame_keeper). Although she often posts videos on TikTok to educate people about wolves and rescues, Carranza loves documenting how well Rory is settling into her new home.

The video showing Rory receiving her first toys was shared on November 2, and it has been viewed more than 38,000 times and received more than 3,700 likes. The reaction on social media has been encouraging for Carranza, as he says “so many people are on Rory’s team and wish him the best for the future.”

She continued: “We have three other dogs, a low-content wolfhound, a mid-content wolfhound and a husky/malamute mix. Rory was very defensive and shy in the early days, even trying start fights, but we know he’s not a bad dog, he’s just scared because our dogs like to play rough. They don’t know abuse and neglect like Rory, so they don’t understand that he needs time to feel safe.

“My wife and I made sure Rory got the space and security he needed in the first few days to adjust, and now he happily plays with the other dogs and loves our daily routine. All of our dogs are part of our family and I really feel like she enjoys living in a home as part of a well-trained pack.”

Hundreds of TikTok users commented on the viral post, with many enjoying Rory’s excited reaction to the first toy he received.

One comment read: “Oh my heart! He is beautiful, every fur baby deserves a toy.”

Another person responded: “Let me sob here. Who wouldn’t love such a beautiful creature.”

Do you have any funny or adorable videos or photos of your pet that you would like to share? Send them to [email protected] along with a few details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.