Recently, Teresa Hwang, a TikTok user known as @ketophoria, shared an inspiring story about a love that conquers fear, which has touched the hearts of 1.6 million viewers and received nearly 450,000 likes in just a few days.
At 51 years old, Teresa is a dedicated Special Education teacher in Oakville, Canada, who has struggled with a significant fear of dogs after being bitten twice. Her life changed when she met Boo, a shelter dog who was also fearful of people. Their connection was serendipitous, allowing them to grow and face their fears together. Over the years, they learned to take small steps, surrounding each other with patience and unconditional love to foster a deep friendship.
“Sometimes, I still can’t believe I have a dog, much less love one as much as I love Boo. I tell people he’s like the son I never had. I don’t just love him because he loves and needs me. I love him for who he is, exactly as he is, for all he has overcome and for the joy he has brought into my life,” Teresa expressed, sharing the full story of their remarkable journey.
Fear of dogs has been a part of my life for many years. After experiencing bites from friends’ dogs—once on my forehead at 10 and again on my leg at 20—I developed a significant phobia that I mostly dealt with by avoiding dogs altogether. I would often change my path to avoid leashed dogs, found it difficult to enjoy running outside, and would ask friends to keep their lively or barking dogs in another room when I came over. While I could handle friendly dogs I was familiar with, no matter their size or breed, I still felt a surge of anxiety whenever a dog barked or growled, even if it was just playful behavior.
Hwang’s boyfriend has been expressing his desire for a dog for several years, but it wasn’t until they spent two weeks dog-sitting her sister’s 16-year-old black mutt, Cola, that the serious consideration of adopting one truly began.
We dedicated a lot of time to researching and reaching out to numerous rescue shelters,” Hwang explained. “That’s when we found a dog named Patches, who we eventually renamed Boo, at the Niagara Dog Rescue. He had been in the system for about six months and had traveled from Texas, where he was in two different shelters and with at least one foster family.”
Source: tiktok/ketophoria