A distraught family made the heartbreaking decision to give up their loyal pet, concerned about how they would cope with the imminent arrival of a baby.
Three-year-old German Shepherd Rocco was left at the kennels in Dallas, USA but seemed to not be coping well with the new arrangement.
A woman visiting the shelter noticed Rocco trembling in fear, so she took a video and posted it online in hopes that a rescue group would take in the animal.
He appeared scared and stressed by the unfamiliar noises and people, living in a shelter comes with.
Spotting the video online, dog foster carer Preethi Pillaipakkam, immediately went to rescue Rocco.
She told The Dodo : “The shelter is certainly not the environment for a dog like Rocco.
"He was very timid and scared to get into the car.
"He even hid beneath the seat in the car. He was pacing a bit and seemed very stressed.”
Rocco appeared underweight and timid, but has perked up slowly and has been playing with another German Shepherd at his foster home.
His story was put online and thousands applied to adopt him.
His new family have taken over his Instagram page and he already has more than 6,000 followers.
