The internet has been reduced to tears by a dog who was abandoned by her owners and found waiting alone on the porch, desperate to get inside.

Taylor Bullock, founder and CEO of Happy Tails Animal Rescue, was horrified when she saw a Facebook post about a dog whose owners moved out and left her behind. Bullock, of Terre Haute, Indiana, was in disbelief, telling Newsweek that she “kept refreshing the post all day” to see if there was any update on this sweet pup.

As the hours ticked by, and no updates came, Bullock couldn’t resist driving over to the house and looking for herself.

When she saw the white dog waiting on the porch for her family, she was heartbroken. The poor animal had sores on her body, was incredibly dirty, and her ears looked frost bitten after being abandoned.

“Our intake was closed, but I saw the Facebook post and I thought, surely they did not leave their dog behind,” Bullock said. “When I got to the house, she came right up to me and was so sweet and friendly. She had some sores and was very dirty. She absolutely would not leave the porch—she kept going to the front door to tell me to let her in.”

It’s unclear how long the dog had been left outside for. Bullock spoke to some neighbors who spotted her roaming around for a few days, but the family had in fact moved away a month prior.

Bullock couldn’t leave without finding the dog a safe home, so she sat on the porch with her until locating a foster. At the time, the dog kept sitting on her lap, as Bullock said she “just wanted love.”

After finding a foster home, Bullock took the dog back to her own house for the night until transferring her the following morning.

“We took her home that day, and it was a good thing we did because a very strong storm hit. That is how we came up with the name Rain for her. We gave her a bath, dewormed her and vaccinated her (which she was not a van of). She had severe anxiety going in the kennel, so she ended up sleeping with me on the couch,” Bullock said.

Rain, who is thought to be around 2 to 3 years old, is now in a foster home with other dogs to keep her company. Bullock told Newsweek that Rain loves being around other dogs and has been “wearing herself out” by playing with them.

This has also helped increase her confidence, as she’s learning what it means to be part of a pack and is able to trust those around her.

Bullock continued: “Rain would do great in a home with other animals and kids. She is very sweet, and I think other animals give her confidence.”

Rain’s story was shared in a post on TikTok (@happy.tails.animal.rescu), and it left social media users in tears. The post shows Rain waiting on the porch for her family to return, before being taken home with Bullock where she got cleaned up. Alongside the pictures of Rain in her home, Bullock added that she “was so happy to be safe” and had the best sleep that night.

The post has amassed over 23,200 views and 1,100 likes on TikTok at the time of writing.

By sharing her experiences as an animal rescuer, Bullock hopes to open people’s eyes to the devastating animal welfare crisis happening across the country.

Bullock said: “We have amazing fosters who help us every day, but it takes a toll when you feel like you’re combating the crisis alone.

“These animals are misunderstood, and their owners need to be held accountable for the dumping, abusing, and backyard breeding. It’s also important that people spay and neuter their pets,” she continued.

Many social media users have commented on the post to share their best wishes for Rain, and to thank Bullock for saving her.

One comment reads: “This is just plain heartbreaking.”

Another TikTok user wrote: “I’m so happy she is happy now.”

While another person added: “Thank you for being her saving grace.”

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