Fostered pup Boomer was found with a broken leg and a pellet lodged in his ribs by foster carer Samantha Zimmer – but was too frightened to step inside when she welcomed him into her home
Boomer initially couldn’t bring himself to enter the family home
This is the heartbreaking moment a rescue dog struggled to step inside his foster home because he’d never been indoors before.
Boomer, a two-year-old terrier mix, had been one of four stray dogs living outside a bank and was frequently used as ‘target practice’ by cruel people.
In a tear-jerking clip, the pup appears baffled by the front door, tentatively pawing at its frame.
Only with lots of encouragement and reassurance from rescue centre worker Samantha Zimmer can he finally cross the threshold.
Samantha, 35, invited Boomer into her home in Houston, Texas after he was tragically discovered with a broken femur and a pellet lodged in his ribcage.
But after a lifetime on the streets he was initially too frightened to join her inside, having never stepped foot in a home.
Footage captures Samantha and her family beckoning the pup indoors and telling him he’s safe as he struggles to enter.
But he eventually took the big step and has since become an internet hero after his foster carer uploaded videos of him overcoming his fears on TikTok.
Samantha fostered him on February 14 and kept him in their garage for the first two weeks to get him used to life off the streets.
Along with her boyfriend, she would bring him in by carrying him but filmed him because she wanted to see if the foster pup was comfortable doing it by himself.
When Samantha Zimmer and her boyfriend George Dix first found Boomer he was too shy to be petted by them
Boomer loves nothing more than a long walk in the park and a belly rub, but is nervous of larger dogs as he used to be attacked on the streets.
The pooch is now comfortable running in and out, and will be moving to a new foster centre in Wisconsin in three months time to prepare him for adoption.
Samantha said: “I was leaving to go work. My boyfriend was home so Boomer was outside in the front enjoying the morning.
“I was curious if he would come inside and wanted to film it.
Boomer is finally able to run in and out of the house after plenty of encouragement from his foster family
“Sadly he was unsure and it just broke my heart to see him hesitate.”
She said: “The area of town in Houston is notorious for stray dogs.
The animal lover told how the area of Houston Boomer used to live in is notorious for dog shootings, with cruel locals using the strays for target practice.
“Before the freeze I had space in my garage to take in all four dogs she showed me, so we picked up two one day and had to come back the next day to trap Boomer,” she added.
“He was too shy to come up to us.
“Neighbours in the area love to use dogs as target practice, or they shoot at them for getting into the trash.”
Samantha added: “What’s incredible to me is that Boomer spent his life invisible to all the humans he encountered
The pooch has won the hearts of millions after Samantha shared clips of his struggles on TikTok
“A few people fed him, but for the most part people aren’t surprised to see a stray dog. They throw some food down and go about their days.
“And now with the help of TikTok this once ignored dog has captured the hearts of so many people.
“He gives hope to the other dogs patiently waiting for someone to take a chance on them and foster them.
“Anyone can help a stray dog. It’s an incredibly rewarding experience.”