As soon as the staff at Austin Animal Center (AAC) met a Chihuahua puppy “named Tiny Tater Tot (TTT), they knew he was special. He had a severe skin issue that made him stand out from the rest, but that’s not all the sweet baby had to offer.

As sick as he was, the little guy was affectionate. His friends at AAC got to work actively treating the mange that covered his body from head to tail, but they felt he would have a better chance at healing in a home.

So they put out a call for potential foster parents.

At first, nobody showed interest in TTT. His caregivers knew just how loving he was, but people seemed to turn away because of his skin.

“One of our animal care workers said, ‘He literally just wants to be loved on all day long and keeps getting overlooked due to his condition,’” Kelsey Cer, AAC’s program manager, told The Dodo.

Luckily, the perfect foster parents — Sylvie and Martin — eventually scooped him up. In his new foster home, Tiny Tater Tot got a chance to heal while learning what it meant to be loved.

Due to his highly contagious skin disease, TTT needed to be isolated from his foster siblings as soon as he arrived. Sylvie and Martin transformed a spare bathroom into a cozy nook and visited with him multiple times a day, always covered in protective clothing themselves so as to not pick up the mange.

“Despite this sounding like a sad lifestyle, Tiny has been absolutely great,” Slyvie told The Dodo. “And, it’s much quieter and more enriching than a crate at the shelter.”

When he first got there, all Tiny Tater Tot wanted to do was sleep: a crucial part of his healing process.

But eventually, he felt brand new again — and he started to look just as good on the outside as he felt on the inside.

“In the beginning, it was so sad,” Sylvie said. “Now, just a few weeks later, he looks like a different dog.”

As his health improved, so did his energy. It wasn’t long before the once-sad pup was lovingly dancing around his beloved foster parents’ toes whenever they entered the room.

“He always greets me with tail wags and running around my feet,” Sylvie said. “Every time I pick him up, he quickly calms down, and his favorite snuggle is to burrow his nose under my armpit.”

TTT was finally able to explore his foster home and meet the rest of his temporary family a few weeks later, when he was officially mange-free.

He got along great with everyone, but his favorite friend was Lucy: an adopted mama dog who took to the little guy right away.

Tiny Tater Tot has since been cleared for adoption, and he recently met his new forever family.

He’ll surely miss Sylvie, Martin, Lucy and his friends at AAC, but Tiny Tater Tot can’t wait to settle into his new life.

On top of playing with his new siblings, including a doberman and a potbellied pig, TTT can’t wait to snuggle up in his new mom’s arms.

Life hasn’t always been easy for the little guy, but thankfully, he’s come a long way. And with the help of his loved ones, it’ll only get better from here.