Lord knows it can be hard to trust people, especially if you haven’t always been treated kindly by them. While this is true for any person, it’s exponentially more difficult for an abused puppy. This is Mina’s story.

Mina is a sweet puppy who had one heck of a rough upbringing.

Until she was a year old, she spent her life behind the kennel walls of a public pound based in Romania. The poor girl was found to be suffering from severe malnourishment, as well as anemia and a horrible case of mange.

Living her life out in an overcrowded shelter with little to no care took a hard toll on the puppy. She wasn’t used to being around people that cared about her and was petrified of people touching her.

Fortunately for the puppy, her luck was about to turn earlier this year in January.

That is when founders Diana Badescu and Catalin Stancu for the renowned dog rescue, Howl of a Dog, came to Mina’s pound for a visit. Nearly as soon as they saw her, they decided that the terrified puppy was coming back with them.

Although the puppy was in a safe space surrounded by caring people, she was still overrun with anxiety. Every time someone drew near Mina to pet her or show her some affection, she would begin trembling constantly and crying out in fear.

Rescuers from Howl of a Dog continued to care for the puppy, slowly nursing her back to health.

Before long, the malnourished puppy began putting on weight and her mange began to clear up. Even with all her physical health improvements, though, Mina still refused to let her rescuers touch her without shaking and crying.

Everyone at the rescue organization stayed patient with the puppy. They would approach her slowly and start petting her, but the moment she began to tremble, they would step away to let her have some space.

The puppy was at the shelter a full week before her rescuers discovered her affection weakness; belly rubs!

In the video below, the moment Mina’s rescuers begin to rub her soft little belly, she stops her trembling and even rolls over a bit to make it easier on them. The poor neglected puppy was finally learning to trust the people who saved her. She started to understand that they were there not just to help her, but to love on her too.

“She’s a sweet dog, very friendly with other dogs and, although she is still a little shy with people, she is starting to feel more confident every day,” says Howl of a Dog on their website.

Mina continued to stay with her rescuers for several months while she received medical treatment for her mange and anemia. As for her temperament, Mina is doing wonderful.

With each day that passed, the puppy grew more confident in herself and the people around her.

She doubled in weight at the shelter and even began playing with the other dog rescues in the shelter. Once her mange cleared up, the organization put her up for adoption.

It took almost no time at all for the sweet puppy to find her forever family.

She was adopted by a German couple that couldn’t wait to spoil her with their time, love, and affection. Mina didn’t just inherit a new human family, though, but she inherited an older fur-sister as well, Alma.

The two dogs love playing with each other. Their favorite game seems to be a tug-of-war over tree branches, and Mina looks happier than ever.

We’re so happy that Mina was able to find the best forever family she could have asked for. If you would like to learn more about her rescue story, watch the video below, and if you’d like to help other puppies in Mina’s situation, consider donating to Howl of a Dog Rescue.

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H/T: Animal Channel