Tiny, Disabled Dog ‘Thanks’ Her Rescuer With a Kiss, So She Adopts Her–and Now She’s an Instagram Star

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A tiny, deformed, and disabled dog named Freddie Mercury was discarded by her previous owner. In spite of her appearance, she was adopted by a woman who fell in love with her sweet nature. Freddie Mercury’s story went viral after photos were posted online and warmed hearts all over the internet. She now has an impressive Instagram following.

Angela Adan is a dog rescuer from Tehachapi, California, and she regularly fosters abandoned strays. In a video on The Dodo from February 2019, she explains that as an experienced rescuer, she is used to seeing unwanted animals in distress.

“I don’t get emotional when I go to the shelter to pick up a dog. Because I know it doesn’t help a scared dog,” she explains.

Collecting Freddie from the rescue center involved a four-hour drive without knowing what state the pooch would be in. Adan picked her up wrapped in a blanket and then drove her home. Upon coming home, she began noticing the state the disabled pup was in.

Freddie had had 17 teeth removed and couldn’t walk as her legs were deformed. “I was emotionally fine until the point when we got home, and I put her on the ground and saw that her legs were splayed out,” Adan recalled, per The Dodo.

As Adan picked up the tiny creature in her arms, she saw little Freddie trying to lick her face. It was then that her heart melted and she knew she could never let her go back to the shelter.

“There are moments when I know that dogs are truly thanking me, and this was absolutely one of those moments,” the young woman said. So she decided to adopt the special-needs pup permanently.

Having a dog with special needs comes with its own set of challenges. Adan says she is fully committed to Freddie’s well-being. “I’m here for her every step of the way,” she said. “She’s so deserving just like they all are, but there’s something very special about this little one. She just looks at you with pure gratitude.”

Besides internet stardom, little Freddie Mercury also shared airtime on a YouTube show called “Dogs day out.” YouTube personality Rocky Kanaka includes abandoned dogs in his videos in a bid to help them find a home.

Although Freddie Mercury had a home, Kanaka was impressed with the deformed dog’s story—so touched that he took both Freddie and her owner to a pet shop, where he bought everything Freddie needed to celebrate her adoption. The video was a viral hit and received over 13 million views on YouTube.

In spite of her limitation, this little dog not only garnered YouTube fame but also has hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers. Her Instagram account is where she keeps her fans up to date with all her adventures.

“People often ask me how do I do it? How can you foster a special needs dog knowing she could pass away at any day?“ Adan said at the end of Freddie’s heartwarming video. ”The answer is simple, dogs teach me just to have fun and to be in the moment.

“I do my best to just enjoy this time right here, right now, and not worry about what happened yesterday or what will happen tomorrow. Life is short, take breaks when you need it and just enjoy the moment you have right this second.”