Writer Isabel Klee is no stranger to the triumphs and challenges of fostering rescue dogs. As a dog-centric content creator who shares heartfelt stories and vlogs with her own dog, Simon, she has taken a combined 1 million+ followers on Instagram and TikTok along on her fostering journey, as well.
There have been standout stars in the past, but none have captured the attention of the internet quite like Tiki, her 23rd foster, and what she initially called “her most difficult foster yet.”
In April, Klee shared a video on social media, saying that she did not know what to expect with her new temporary friend.
“A group of dogs came into the ASPCA; They were not in the best shape,” Klee prefaced.
“For a little bit of context, the ASPCA deals with a lot of criminal cases, legal cases, complex community cases, in which the information about the previous owners and the dogs are extremely sensitive. For that reason, I am not going to share any of the backstory.”
Tiki was described by the ASPCA and nonprofit Muddy Paws Rescue as “by far the most shut down of the group.”
With all of this in mind, Klee still dove headfirst into making him feel welcome in his new home.
“Tiki is quite literally paralyzed with fear,” she said before picking him up. “They say that he does not move from his bed — ever — unless it’s the middle of the night. He is completely terrified of being handled. He bites people. He loses control of his bowels.”
Behaviorists had even debated if Tiki would get better, and his time with Isabel and her family would be a test to see if being out of a shelter would help him overcome his debilitating anxiety.
“I believe that all dogs should be given a chance,” Klee said. “Tiki deserves a chance to heal and get better. My goal is to provide him a safe space. We’re going to take it really slow and just see what happens.”
Just a little over 25 days later, Klee’s patience has paid off.
Tiki’s daily updates have taken TikTok and Instagram by storm, dubbing the former social media site “Tiki Tok.”
In the first few vlogs, Klee showed clips of the fearful little mutt (with an adorable raccoon-like mask) staying contained to his safety net, a kennel and adjoining puppy gate with potty pads, food, and water accessible to the pup.
But then, he started getting curious.
In later videos — around days 11 and 12 — Tiki began emerging from his kennel and exploring Klee’s New York apartment, sniffing a very dutiful Simon, and even nearing the humans in the home.
“I just know this dog is so close to letting me pet him,” Klee said in her Day 11 video. “I swear I can see the gears turning in his mind. Like, occasionally, he’ll forget he’s terrified and seems excited to see me.”
Since then, Tiki has had a dental procedure, hopped on the couch, sat in Klee’s lap, accepted lots of pets and kisses, ventured outdoors, and as of today, played with toys.
His progress has been rapid and remarkable, and millions of people have cheered him on around the world. He has even garnered praise from celebrities like Kylie Kelce, Glennon Doyle, and Abby Wambach.
“I think Tiki is providing us all with some hope that we could all use right now,” Klee said in a recent video.
But one question keeps popping up in her comment section: “Are you going to adopt Tiki?”
“I knew this would happen because it’s happened with literally every single foster I’ve had,” Klee said. “I know the sentiment comes from a good place. You see how happy the dog is with me, and therefore I should keep the dog.”
But as much love as Klee has for her brave little companion, she offered another perspective.
“Over 6 million animals enter the shelter system every single year,” she said. “Shelters all over the country are over capacity, with pop-up kennels filling the hallways just to try to make more space. Not only that, but over 600,000 animals were euthanized last year, some of which because there’s simply no place for them to go. So, there are millions of Tikis around the world. Millions of Tikis who need me and need us.”
Although plenty of people want Tiki to become a “foster fail,” Klee said hundreds of people have also messaged her saying that they’ve been inspired to foster a dog, too.
“I know you all love Tiki,” Klee said. “I love him, too, and giving him up will be so hard. But my greatest lesson in fostering is that you don’t have to own something to love it. Sometimes you have to let that love go, and let it spread further and wider than you ever thought possible.”
While Tiki will soon find a forever family of his own, he is still healing in the home of Klee, her fiance Jacob (who commenters have nicknamed Mr. Isabel), and her soul dog, Simon.
“He gets braver and braver every single day,” Klee said in her most recent update.
And Klee — whose debut memoir “Dogs, Boys, and Other Things I’ve Cried About” will be published soon — she’s in it for the long haul.
“You undid a lifetime of fear and trauma for him in ~3 weeks,” one TikTok commenter wrote.
“We don’t deserve dogs, but you definitely do.”
Header images courtesy of Isabel Klee/TikTok
