This is the adorable moment a dog rescued from a hut in the Thai jungle saw snow for the first time.
Rusty, who had been chained his entire life, was met with an unexpected blanket of white when he left for his new home in England this morning.
He was clearly a little bewildered at first and can be seen sniffing the snow before cautiously taking his first steps.
But Rusty’s trepidation quickly turned to delight as he jumped out the door to play with his friend.
In the touching video he can be seen jumping in the snow and wagging his tail playfully.
Footage of Rusty was filmed by his new owner, but shared on social media by Niall Harbison, an animal rescuer working out in Thailand.
He wrote in X: ‘In July we rescued Rusty from a short chain under a hut in the jungle of Thailand.
‘We found him a home in England. He saw snow today for the first time in his life and it was just brilliant.’
This is the adorable moment a dog rescued from a hut in the Thai jungle saw snow for the first time
Rusty was clearly a little bewildered at first and can be seen sniffing the snow before cautiously taking his first steps.
Rusty photographed in Thailand before being brought to England to his new home
‘Imagine being chained your whole life. You find the family of your dreams and then this surprise.’
Niall described Rusty as “one of the gentlest souls we’ve ever had” and a “big softie”.
The animal rescuer lives in Thailand and has dedicated his life to helping the country’s stray dogs find new homes.
He is a recovering alcoholic and previously told MailOnline he vowed to turn his life around after being admitted to intensive care following a binge caused by depression and anxiety.
Niall now spends thousands of dollars every month keeping his dog sanctuary, Happy Doggo, running.
He also uses crowdfunding through his social media platforms, with donations helping to pay for veterinary care for dogs that cross his path.
Niall’s Instagram account has grown from just 800 followers two years ago to 1.2 million today, and fans are eager to see content about how he is transforming the lives of the dogs he comes into contact with.
According to the Happy Doggo website, Niall began the project in 2021 while running around Koh Samui, Thailand, to overcome his substance abuse.
He began bringing food to many of the malnourished dogs he saw along the way and began sharing videos of the animals online.
Rusty, who had been chained his entire life, was met with an unexpected blanket of white when he left for his new home in England this morning.
Niall Harbison lives in Thailand and has dedicated his life to helping the country’s stray dogs find new homes.
In the touching clip, Rusty can be seen jumping in the snow and wagging his tail.
The site adds: ‘Niall’s videos began to attract the attention of people around the world who wanted to help.
“He began feeding and vaccinating as many dogs as he could, but quickly realized that neutering was the only way to solve the problem long-term.”
Although she has gained more than a million followers on Instagram and has helped many animals, she has big plans.
“Niall secured land and set about building a sanctuary for dogs to recover, taking in only the sickest and most vulnerable dogs,” the charity’s website says.
‘He named her after Tina, the golden retriever he rescued in Thailand and who inspired a movement.
‘It will be located next to Happy Doggo Land. With approximately 3,117 square feet of medical facilities, it will house two operating theatres, diagnostic facilities such as x-rays, as well as an in-house laboratory, pharmacy, intensive care unit and overnight capacity for approximately 15 dogs.
To donate to Niall’s Stray Dog Rescue, visit happy dog.