On Christmas Eve, while most people and pets were tucked away warmly, celebrating the festive season, one unfortunate dog’s reality was far from this. The homeless dog was doing its best to escape the cold, resorting to taking shelter in an abandoned Chewy.com box.

When Janine Guido, the founder of Speranza Animal Rescue in Pennsylvania, stumbled upon this heart-wrenching sight, she couldn’t just walk away. She decided to intervene. She named the dog Noel and began the challenging process of earning the wary dog’s trust. However, it wasn’t long before the exhausted Noel willingly followed Janine into her car.

In March, the rescue received an inquiry from a family about adopting a different dog, but they felt this family would be the perfect match for Noel. When Noel met Oliver, the family’s toddler, they instantly bonded.

Noel was once a homeless dog in Pennsylvania with nowhere to go and no one to care for her.

Last Christmas Eve, Janine Guido found her sheltering in an old Chewy.com cardboard box and took her in. Noel was utterly exhausted—barely able to lift her head or open her eyes.

The Rescue team believed that Noel would be the perfect fit for a family that had originally inquired about another dog—and when Noel met the family’s toddler, they bonded instantly.

Now, when the family sets up Oliver’s toys near Noel’s dog bed, they play and snuggle together.

“They just can’t stay away from each other,” the family said. Noel seems to be doing incredibly well in her new home.