Single mom forms instant bond with dog found with “rope around its neck”

A woman was horrified to learn about a dog found with a rope tied around its neck, and despite her initial reservations, she couldn’t be happier to give her a loving forever home.

Last week, Heather Tolaro, of Lincolnshire, Illinois, was contacted by a friend who found a stray dog outside her home with a “rope around its neck.” The friend said that she seemed like a really sweet dog, but keeping her wasn’t an option as she is allergic.

Neither of them wanted the dog to wind up at the pound, so Tolaro, 43, and her daughter headed over there to meet the pup for themselves. Tolaro told Newsweek that the dog, named Bella Star, didn’t particularly like her at first, but she was very gentle with her young daughter, and they instantly became besties.

As a single mom, Tolaro didn’t think she could afford to keep the dog, but after spending three hours with her, there was no way she could leave her behind. She put Bella Star in her car and offered to look after her until she found the rightful owner.

“My friend had no idea where their dog came from, but she lives right by the expressway, so it might have come from there. I took the dog without really knowing any of her history,” Tolaro said.

“We contacted shelters, the police, animal control, and I’ve posted her picture on lost dog pages on community pages. I went to the vet to see if she was chipped too, so I’ve done everything I can to try and find the owner, but it’s turned up nothing.”

Two days after bringing Bella Star home, Tolaro said her mother-in-law showed her a video appearing to show a dog being “thrown out of a car” in an area that looks reminiscent of where she came from. While it is not clear if it was Bella Star, Tolaro is fearful that it may have been.

She isn’t sure what the dog has had to endure, but after seeing how wonderful she is with her family, she has decided to keep Bella Star and give her a forever home.

“It’s weird, and I don’t really understand it, but it’s as if we’ve had for her entire life,” Tolaro continued. “She is fully trained; she sleeps in the bed with us; she gets excited for car rides, excited for walks. I don’t understand.

“I’m grateful that she feels safe and comfortable with me, but it breaks my heart to think of what she’s gone through. She’s so sweet, and I can only imagine what she had to deal with.”

Tolaro has taken the dog to the vets to get checked over, and the experts believe she is less than 1 year old and may have witnessed domestic violence in her previous home. Bella Star appears protective of Tolaro and her daughter but is far less comfortable around males.

The Social Media Reaction

At first, Tolaro posted a video of Bella Star on TikTok in an attempt to find her owner, and the video blew up. The footage shows the dog cuddling up on Tolaro’s lap, and in just a matter of days, it has generated over 4.3 million views and almost 600,000 likes.

Social-media users have become invested in Bella Star’s story, and Tolaro has gladly kept everyone up to date with regular daily TikTok videos.

She told Newsweek: “I definitely was not expecting this reaction. My girlfriend called me the next morning and said I’d gone viral. I’m so grateful for all the love and support. It’s heartening, and it just shows how strong the TikTok community can really be.”

At the time of writing, the viral TikTok post has received over 6,300 comments already.

One comment reads: “She loves you, you are the chosen one, something bad happened at her last house.”

Another TikTok user wrote: “She is hugging you. I think she wants to stay.”

A third person added: “She is thanking you. Rescues are the best.”

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.

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