Kit is happy to be home.
The senior golden retriever, believed to be around 10 years old, became a viral celebrity this summer when her pet parent sharedan adorable video of the dog on TikTok.
In the clip, Kit settles into her new home while the caption “POV: your new rescue dog can’t stop smiling once she realizes that she is home” appears over the video.
The golden retriever spends most of the@hangingwith_Henry TikTokclip curled up on her new bed, where she eagerly wags her tail with a massive smile on her face. As of July 6, the video has been viewed over 2 million times.
While Kit is happily in a forever home with Lindsay Paluba today, getting the dog there took a lot of work.
Kit the Golden Retriever as a stray dog in Turkey.Lindsay Paluba
Lindsay Paluba
Paluba, a registered nurse in North Carolina, tells PEOPLE that Kit was found as a stray in Turkey.
“When she was found on the streets in Türkiye, she was very skinny, her front teeth were completely broken, and she was missing all the hair on her stomach/chest. Our vet thinks it was from years of chronic yeast infections. I can only imagine how uncomfortable she must have been,” Paluba says.
The condition of Kit the dog’s fur when she was rescued from the streets of Turkey.Lindsay Paluba
The animal lover and pet parent to three other pups volunteers withTattered Paws and Golden Hearts, a nonprofit focused on rescuing homeless pets in Turkey and finding them homes in the U.S. It was through Tattered Paws that Paluba first laid eyes on Kit and instantly fell in love.
Paluba brought Kit home in early June and quickly went to work showing the golden retriever all the good things in life: toys, treats, and affection. The now-viral video of the senior dog grinning in her new plush bed was taken on her first day in her forever home.
Kit the Golden Retriever with one of her new toys.Lindsay Paluba
“The moment I looked over and saw her on her bed, she started wagging like crazy. I initially started walking up to her and recording because I thought it was cute how much she was wagging and how happy she looked. When I got closer, she started to ‘smile.’ I think her smile was a mix of emotions; I think she was both nervous but also very happy for human attention,” Paluba says.
Despite the harsh circumstances she endured as a stray, Kit is still “a typical golden,” according to her dog mom.
Kit the dog with her new canine siblings.Lindsay Paluba
“She always wants to be close to her humans and is always pawing for more attention. I truly think her first ‘smile’ was her not being able to contain her emotions and being unsure of what was happening. I hadn’t ever seen that behavior in our other dogs before. Whenever Kit comes up asking for pets now, the corners of her mouth always go up a little bit,” Paluba says.
Another thing that gets Kit smiling? Grass!
“The first thing she did when we got her home was roll all around in the grass. They don’t really have grass in Türkiye, where she is from, so anytime she is near it, she must roll. It is almost impossible to take her on a walk because she cannot get past rolling in our front yard,” Kit’s owner adds.
Kit the Golden Retriever after her adoption.Lindsay Paluba
As for Paluba, she is just as obsessed with Kit as she thought she would be when she first saw the dog’s photos.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Kit the Golden Retriever smiling at her new home.Lindsay Paluba
The pet parent plans to take Kit and her pack of pooches to the beach this summer and on more adventures that will keep them smiling.
“I want to make every day a good day for them,” Paluba says.
She hopes Kit’s story and TikTok fame inspire others to adopt their next pet.
“There are so many rescue dogs out there that need homes. Rescuing is so rewarding, and they truly do show you their appreciation. Please don’t overlook a senior dog! They, too, have a lot of love to give!” the dog mom shares.
source: people.com
