Owner Fears Rescue Dog Won't Make Friends at Daycare-Then Sees the Photos

A dog owner was filled with dread before sending her shy and reserved rescue pup to daycare, but as it turned out, the pictures documenting her experience told a very different story.

After rescuing Ruby, the former reservation dog in September 2025, her new owner Lisa Danh, 29, made the decision to start sending her to daycare in December. For the first few months, Ruby, who is believed to be a shepherd and Labrador mix, was "quite withdrawn and shy," but with patience and support, she gradually grew in confidence.

Prior to being adopted by Danh, who resides in Calgary, Canada, Ruby was in a foster home and had attended daycare several times. Once Ruby appeared more settled, Danh loved the idea of sending her to the daycare, telling Newsweek that it would give her "a piece of her old life" as she'd get to socialize with her foster siblings again.

Of course, that decision didn't come lightly, and Danh was consumed with fear that Ruby wouldn't enjoy it and would struggle to make friends.

"At this point, I didn't really know her true personality and I didn't have much information from the foster about how Ruby would do," Danh said. "The first few months, Ruby was withdrawn, shy, and really quiet, so I assumed she would be the same at daycare. She's so submissive and cat-like that I was sure the other dogs would bully her or take advantage."

During Ruby's first time back at daycare, Danh couldn't help but check the facility's social media accounts for updates. She was constantly refreshing the feed and watched every single Instagram story, hoping for a glimpse of Ruby.

As it turned out, Ruby was doing just fine. The pictures shared by the daycare showed that she was in fact "part of a puppy gang," had to be placed with the bigger dogs because she's so energetic, and even instigating play during what was supposed to be naptime. The chaotic photos came as quite the surprise to Danh, who was incredibly relieved to see that Ruby was having so much uninhibited fun.

"We've been taking her a minimum of once a month, on the same weekday so she's there with her foster siblings, Sully and Remi," Danh said. "I was super surprised by the photos. They advised us that the transition from shelter to foster home then to a permanent home is a drastic change, and it takes a while for them to adjust, but I didn't realize how dramatic the change in personality was."

Danh couldn't resist sharing the hilarious photos on TikTok (@unkndvnh), with the caption joking that "doggy daycare is a success." Needless to say, social media users are obsessed with Ruby's vibrant personality, leading to more than 616,200 views and over 86,100 likes on TikTok at the time of writing.

The online reaction is beyond anything Danh expected, but she's delighted that so much of the internet has fallen in love with sweet Ruby. This has led to more than 800 comments on the viral TikTok post so far, as many people lauded her undeniable confidence.

One comment reads: "Oh she's the leader of the click."

Another TikTok user wrote: "I just know you were beaming with pride looking at the Instagram post."

While another person quipped: "she's always been that girl, she just needed her crew."

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? We want to see the best ones! Send them in to life@newsweek.com and they could appear on our site.

2026 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.

This story was originally published April 14, 2026 at 6:47 AM.