Penni the rescue dog overcame her fear of noise and people by going hiking in the great outdoors

Everyone knows dogs can’t resist a good walk.

For many, even uttering the word around them will send them into a tail-chasing, yapping-mad screwball of excitement.

For one New York pooch, though, a quick trip round the park wasn’t quite enough.

Meet Penni. This intrepid, four-legged friend is a big fan of nature – and we don’t just mean an afternoon lazing in a local field.

For Penni, it’s all about the great outdoors – long hikes, mountain climbs and more all feature in her excursions.

There’s a sad tale behind her big grin, though.

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Penni spent the beginning of her life locked up in the basement of a drug den in the Bronx, New York.

Subjected to near-constant physical and emotional abuse and anguish, she was eventually dumped, left alone on the streets of the neighbourhood aged just two-years-old.

Picked up by a local pound, she was taken to their highly overcrowded headquarters and immediately put on the euthanasia list.

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She was eventually rescued by a local organisation called Fur Friends In Need – a foster based animal rescue focusing in Monmouth County, NJ and Staten Island.

Eventually, current owner Blaine DeLuca adopted her from Fur Friends In Need, taking Penni off to her new home in Canton, GA.

Upon returning, though, Blaine noticed his new pal had a deep-seated, understandable fear of both noise and people.

That’s when he came up with an ingenious solution.

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Blaine began taking Penni out on his nature walks, hikes, and rock-climbing and abseiling adventures.

Penni took to it like a fish to water – adorable paw shoes and all.

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The adventures helped Penni overcome her fears in style, and also pick up 23k Instagram followers (and rising!) along the way.

It’s certainly one way to get over a horrible past – and look how happy she is now. Mission accomplished.