Helping a rescue dog rebuild their confidence isn’t a quick process, but it sure is rewarding. Anyone who’s adopted or fostered a shelter dog has witnessed the incredible transformation, and they’ll be the first to confirm that every rescue story contains a little bit of magic.

On February 16, the couple who runs @thefatdog shared a video of a magical moment they recently experienced with their foster dog, LuLu. After three months of patience, encouragement, and unconditional love, Lulu finally felt confident enough to have the zoomies—and she didn’t hold back!

Look at her go! LuLu’s curiosity and playfulness are a gift to see, but I can only imagine how the dog foster parents behind @thefatdog feel about their foster pup’s progress. Watching LuLu feel safe enough to play and zoom is a testament to their job well done!

“Healing a dog is one of the greatest feelings on the planet,” agreed @kelmarie0821. Even fostering a dog, which can be a much shorter commitment than adoption, changes their life in unimaginable ways.

Related: Heartbroken 2-Year-Old Shelter Dog Returned by Her Foster Just Wants To Be Loved

The best parts of fostering are when dogs find their forever homes and when they feel safe and happy enough to express their joy. Foster mama @delicatefinelines knows exactly what it’s like! “When my special needs foster got the zoomies, I cried,” she shared. “They may have been wobbly zoomies due to his condition, but to me, they were perfect just like him.”

Understanding Dogs’ Playful Body Language

Of course, LuLu’s zoomies are also thanks to her foster dad’s incredible empathy and understanding of canine body language. @Profanelyawesome commented, “Can I just say, your partner is amazing at his communication with her: Getting lower than her, doing the sneezes back, staying still to let her control the interaction.”

He went above and beyond to make LuLu feel safe, allowing her to play exactly as she would with another friendly dog. If she gets adopted by a family with another dog, she’ll know exactly how to make friends!

As long as she’s in her foster home, though, she’ll always have a playmate in her dad. There’s no question that her foster parents are head over heels for her, which is exactly what every rescue dog deserves.

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This story was originally published by PetHelpful on Feb 17, 2026, where it first appeared in the Pet News section. Add PetHelpful as a Preferred Source by clicking here.