Adorable second Thai rescue canine who was locked up all his life sees snow for the primary time at his new residence in England
This is the adorable moment a dog that was rescued from a shack in the Thai jungle saw snow for the first time.
Rusty, who had been chained up all his life, was met by an unexpected blanket of white when he went outside at his new home in England this morning.
He was clearly a little taken aback at first and can be seen sniffing the snow before gingerly taking his first steps.
But Rusty’s trepidation quickly turned to delight as he bounded out the door to play with his friend.
He can be seen in the heart-warming clip leaping around in the snow and wagging his tail playfully.
The footage of Rusty was filmed by his new owner but shared on social media by Niall Harbison – an animal rescuer who works out in Thailand.
He wrote on X: ‘In July we rescued Rusty from a short chain under a shack in the jungle in Thailand.
‘We found him a home in England. Today he saw snow for the first time in his life and it was just brilliant.’
This is the adorable moment a dog that was rescued from a shack in the Thai jungle saw snow for the first time
Rusty was clearly a little taken aback at first and can be seen sniffing the snow before gingerly taking his first steps
Rusty pictured in Thailand before he was brought to England to his new home
‘Imagine being chained up your whole life. You find the dream family and then this surprise.’
Niall described Rusty as ‘one of the gentlest souls we’ve ever had’ and a ‘big softie’.
The animal rescuer lives out in Thailand and has dedicated his life to helping street dogs in the country find new homes.
He is a recovering alcoholic and previously told MailOnline that he vowed to change his life after being admitted to intensive care following a drinking binge sparked by depression and anxiety.
Niall now spends thousands of dollars every month on keeping his dog sanctuary, Happy Doggo running.
He also uses crowdfunding via his social media platforms, with donations helping to pay for the veterinary care of the dogs that come his way.
Niall’s Instagram account has gone from just 800 followers two years ago to 1.2million today – with fans keen to see content on how he’s transforming the lives of the dogs he’s coming into contact with.
According to Happy Doggo’s website, Niall began the venture in back 2021 whilst out on runs around Koh Samui, Thailand, to overcome his substance abuse.
He started bringing food to many of the malnourished dogs he saw en route, and started sharing videos of the animals online.
Rusty, who had been chained up all his life, was met by an unexpected blanket of white when he went outside at his new home in England this morning
Niall Harbison lives out in Thailand and has dedicated his life to helping street dogs in the country find new homes
Rusty can be seen in the heart-warming clip leaping around in the snow and wagging his tail
The site adds: ‘Niall’s videos started to attract the attention of people all over the world who wanted to help.
‘He began feeding and vaccinating as many dogs as he could, but he quickly realised that sterilisation was the only way to fix the problem long-term.’
While he has gained more than a million Instagram followers, and helped many animals, he has huge plans.
‘Niall secured a piece of land and set about making a sanctuary for dogs to recuperate, taking in only the most sick and vulnerable dogs,’ says the charity website.
‘He named it after Tina, the golden retriever he rescued in Thailand who inspired a movement.
‘It will be located adjacent to Happy Doggo Land. With approximately 3,117 square feet of medical facilities, it will host two operating theatres, diagnostic facilities such as x-rays, as well as an in-house lab, a pharmacy, an intensive care unit, and overnight capacity for approximately 15 dogs.’
To donate to Niall’s street dog rescue, visit Happy Doggo.
