Woman praised for rescuing dog found "covered in fleas" on street (2024)

A video of a woman rescuing a dog "covered in fleas" and taking care of him in her home has gone viral on TikTok.

The clip was posted on August 10 by Erin (known as @dopeahontas on TikTok) and has received more than 19.1 million views.

A voice in the video says, "I just found this dog...you're so cute..." as a hand is seen petting a dog sitting inside a car. "He's some type of Australian cattle dog mix or something," the voice adds later in the video. A woman is then seen giving the pup a bath as he was "covered in fleas."

Around 3.1 million dogs enter shelters across the U.S. every year, according to 2019 data compiled by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).

The majority of shelter populations across the country are made of strays, as well as surrenders (animals whose owners are no longer able to care for them due to "financial, behavioral or other unforeseen barriers") and rescues, the nonprofit said.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), the U.K.-based animal welfare charity, said it's important to check for any form of identification on the pup because it "may not be a stray at all but a dog that has wandered away from their owner."

If you don't find a collar or tag, consider taking the dog to a local veterinary office or a retail pet store to be scanned for a microchip, per the Animal Humane Society (AHS) based in Minnesota.

Contact local animal groups on social media and post fliers around your neighborhood to notify the community about the dog, in case anyone is looking for their pet.

The dog in the latest viral clip is believed to be neutered, according to the woman in the video. She says, "look at his ears, his whole body was messed up... look at his booty, it's all torn up."

She adds, "He's actually really, really small," as the footage shows the dog's back as he drinks water from a bowl. "He's a bag of bones..."

The woman later says, "You're safe here... it's gonna be OK," while continuing to rub soap on the dog's body in the bathtub.

Noting that she is allergic to fleas, the woman says the bath was "traumatizing for the both of us," adding "I couldn't even record the mayhem that happened in that bathtub. I had a panic attack over the flea thing."

The woman said she later went to her aunt's place where she got a leash, flea treatment and dog food. The pup is shown chowing down on food while a person injects a needle into his back. "The flea treatment will start to work within a couple of days, but now he's just chilling in the laundry room," a voice in the clip says.

Pointing to some marks on his ears, the voice says: "He was so exhausted. He had such a rough night. His skin is so messed up. He is missing a lot of fur. I found him in some really, really rough parts of town. I sat there for a while and spent some time with him and talked to him." A person's hand caresses the dog's head as he appears to fall asleep.

"I think the light might have been too bright for him," the voice adds, as the dog is seen turning his face and burying it in a blanket.

The pup is later seen on a leash being walked down a hall and into an elevator, as the voice says: "I'm very proud of him for not going pee-pee in the house."

Back in the house, the woman in the video says the dog is now on a really fluffy comforter in the laundry room. She adds: "I flea-treated him. He has a full belly, he's hydrated... I put a little lamp outside of the door just in case he was afraid of the dark... He's good..." before the clip ends.

Several TikTok users praised the woman for rescuing the dog in the latest video.

User equuleus86 wrote: "I just love how you're like 'I'm covered in fleas' but you're so intent on loving him."

M Angel posted: "the fact shes allergic to fleas and she got panic attack but she still pursued this dog IS JUST ALL LOVE."

Brandy Ledet wrote, "You just saved his life," while user2124624524011 commented, "He hit the lottery... his life is gonna change because of you."

Shannon posted: "He probably hasn't felt that safe and loved in his entire life."

Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment via TikTok. This video has not been independently verified.

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