There are many stories that have a sad beginning but end up “happily ever after,” and we all like to read them. Yet, a few of them end up seemingly sad, but leave a smile on our faces as well as a huge impact.
A man named Niall Harbison, a founder of Happy Doggo, had the chance to live just such a story. However, that day, when he met an emaciated stray dog chained up on the street, he could not even dream that he would experience something special with her.
At that moment, he was only thinking about how to help this poor creature.
Miserable Life
When Niall saw a poor chained-up dog, whom he later named Tina, his heart broke. This helpless being was literally skin and bones, which was not a surprise considering that she wasn’t able to move, let alone find something to eat or drink.
Aside from her extreme malnourishment, Tina also suffered from a terrible skin condition, so much so that her fur was almost nonexistent. Because of this, Niall wasn’t even sure what breed she was at first. Only later, he discovered that she was a Golden Retriever.
To make matters worse, according to a TikTok video posted by @happydoggoniall, Tina was used as a “breeding machine” throughout nearly her entire life. That, undoubtedly, left many scars both on her body as well as her soul.
Tina’s misery didn’t end even after Niall brought her home and started taking care of her. Just a few days later, after she ate, her stomach swelled so much that it almost exploded.
She was rushed to the hospital, where the vet pumped out the unwanted gas from her stomach. Tina stayed in intensive care for a few more days before returning home to her savior.
After all the suffering, sunny days were finally ahead of this poor dog.
Happy Days
Regardless of everything she went through in her life, when she smiled again for the first time after so long, Tina couldn’t take the smile off her face anymore.
This amazing dog finally showed her true colors: a cheerful personality and a heart filled with love for all beings, especially her beloved Niall.
With a lot of love and attention from her dearest person, her wounds healed more and more every day, both on her body and on her soul. Niall was delighted with the zest for life that Tina demonstrated, and soon, the two became inseparable.
Unfortunately, after four of the happiest months of her life, all the suffering she went through left a permanent scar. Tina was diagnosed with kidney failure.
Niall was depressed and thought that this would completely break Tina. Nevertheless, this dog showed all the splendor of her incredible spirit in the face of the most difficult times.
In addition to playing with her favorite tennis balls, Tina continued to enjoy all other outdoor activities – from swimming to curling up on her favorite hammock.
Despite the horrible prognosis, this resilient girl took advantage of every moment of her new life and lived it as if it were her last.
Tina’s Legacy
After six of the most beautiful months spent together, the moment came for them to say “goodbye” as Tina crossed the rainbow bridge. Niall couldn’t hide the tears caused by the pain of this moment. Yet, they were short-lived.
When Niall remembered all the happy moments spent with Tina and the fact that she was able to live a new life because of him, tears of joy quickly came.
Tina changed this man’s outlook on life forever and nothing was the same after her. She was one of the main reasons why he launched one of the biggest animal charities, Happy Doggo. Aside from that, in her honor, he also started building “Tina’s Hospital”. It was all her legacy.
In addition to her life serving as a reason for Niall to create organizations where many other dogs would be loved and cared for, it can also be an inspiration for all of us when we find ourselves in our own chains of life.
Tina’s resilience and will to live can serve as an example of the fact that it is worth fighting even when life is tough and everything is against us. The story of Tina teaches us that every moment in life should be lived as if it were our last.