Heartbreaking moment rescued street dog is too frightened to step inside house because he’s never lived indoors before

• Boomer, a fostered terrier-mix, struggled to make his way inside foster home 
• The two-year-old stray was often used for ‘target practice’ in Houston, Texas 
• Samantha Zimmer and her family tried to encourage anxious dog to come inside
• He battles with fears, hesitant to step over the threshold, and finally makes it 

A rescued street dog struggled to enter his new foster house because he’d never been indoors before. 

Fostered pup Boomer was one of four dogs in a stray pack living outside a bank and was frequently used as ‘target practice’ by cruel people.

In a heartbreaking clip, the young dog is seen hesitating as he is invited indoors for the first time and, after several attempts, eventually makes it across the threshold after lots of encouragement. 

The two-year-old terrier-mix was taken in by rescue centre worker Samantha Zimmer, 35, from Houston, Texas, who initially housed him in her garage to help him get used to home life.

Boomer, a two-year-old terrier-mix, struggled to make his way inside his foster home after living as a stray in Houston, Texas

His foster family worked hard to help him adjust to being allowed indoors, encouraging him to step over the threshold from outdoors

But Boomer – who had a broken femur and a pellet lodged in his ribs – had never been indoors before, so initially struggled to come into their home.

The video shows the pooch apparently confused by the door and house, tentatively pawing at the threshold.

Ms Zimmer and her family can be heard attempting to lure the pup indoors, reassuring him that he is a house dog and it is ok for him to come inside.   

He eventually makes his way inside before changing his mind and walking straight back outdoors again. 

After weeks of patience, the dog is now growing in confidence and will be moving to a new foster centre in Wisconsin in three months time to prepare him for adoption.

Ms Zimmer said: ‘I was leaving to go work. My boyfriend was home so Boomer was outside in the front enjoying the morning.

The brave pup works up the courage to step over the threshold and immediately bows to the floor before eventually deciding to go back outside

‘I was curious if he would come inside and wanted to film it. Sadly he was unsure and it just broke my heart to see him hesitate.’ 

The foster coordinator at rescue centre Lola’s Lucky Day discovered Boomer after she was sent a video of a pack of four stray dogs outside a bank – an areas she says is notorious for stray dogs.

‘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 said.

‘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.’

Ms Zimmer and her family have helped Boomer feel more comfortable indoor sin preparation for him being adopted by a new family

Samantha fostered him on February 14 and kept him in their garage for the first two weeks.

Along with her boyfriend, she would bring him in by carrying him but wanted to see if the two-year-old terrier-mix was comfortable doing it by himself, when she filmed him.

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.

Samantha said: ‘Boomer is one of thousands of stray dogs. Because of his size and breed he would have had a hard time finding a foster home.

Now he is more settled, the couple Samantha and (left) and George Dix (right) have been able to find out more about the dog’s personality and the fact he loves long walks and belly rubs

‘He was too scared to come to us, but with love and patience he has won the hearts of millions of people.

‘What’s incredible to me is that Boomer spent his life invisible to all the humans he encountered.

‘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.’

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