Isabel Klee just wanted to hang out with a dog, not become a hero. But over the past few months, the 32-year-old Brooklyn resident has become just that—at least to one dog, and to millions of people who’ve watched him slowly come back to life.
Klee began fostering dogs in her mid-twenties when she couldn’t afford to adopt one herself. Through Muddy Paws Rescue, she found the perfect arrangement: time with animals, without the financial strain. Years later, after adopting one of her fosters—a medically complex pup named Simon—Klee paused fostering for four years. Then came the backyard.
With outdoor space for the first time, Klee reopened her home to fosters. It wasn’t long before she was contacted by a friend at Muddy Paws Rescue: the ASPCA had just rescued several dogs from a severe neglect case and urgently needed help. One dog on the list stood out. His name was Tiki. His bio was blunt: “By far the most shut down of the group. Won’t even leave his bed.”
Klee knew immediately—this was the one.
When she arrived to pick him up, the reality hit harder than any description could. Tiki was terrified, filthy, and visibly traumatized. His face had been shaved for surgery, leaving behind what would later become his signature “mask.” He refused to move, eat, or be touched. Attempts at handling were met with fear responses so extreme, staff couldn’t even bathe him. But Klee took him home.
Tiki didn’t immediately trust Klee. In fact, for the first few days in his new pad he never never left his bed. He didn’t eat. He didn’t do anything, but then something changed. At night, Tiki began to leave his crate to use the bathroom when Klee wasn’t looking, he even ate a little meat. Ever so slowly he was easing into safety.
What Tiki didn’t know (because he’s a dog), Klee was documenting the entire thing for social media. Every small step, every brave decision, all of the videos of this traumatized dog learning to be itself again touched people online in a major way. A clip where Tiki nervously takes in his surroundings brought in 8 million viewers from dog lovers across the world, including Kylie Kelce.
Things haven’t been all well and good, which is why Klee’s social media presence feels so real. One video shows a setback where she tried to pick Tiki before he was ready and he completely freaked out. It’s this kind of online honesty that shows the real power of fostering. It’s not something for the faint of hard – it takes committment.
As for Tiki’s future, he’ll soon be ready for adoption. But whether or not he leaves her home, Klee hopes his story inspires others to open their own. “I’m just a regular person,” she says. “But every dog that gets out of a shelter—every scared animal that learns to feel safe again—is a miracle anyone can help make happen.”
