For a one-year-old Shih Tzu named Cosita, life wasn’t always easy. Purchased from a pet store and then neglected for nearly a year, Cosita was suffering from a number of physical and emotional ailments by the time she was rescued by the ASPCA. But despite it all, this petite pup had a lot of love to give—and fortunately, she found the perfect person to give it to. Here is Cosita’s Happy Tail.

Cosita was born in July 2013. As a young puppy, she was sold to a pet store where she was purchased by her first owner; it is likely that she came from a puppy mill. In her first year of life, Cosita was neglected so severely that her fur became matted and she developed a serious skin disease. She was scared, frightened and lonely until the ASPCA rescued her in July 2014.

At the ASPCA Animal Hospital, Cosita needed several surgeries to repair her wounded skin tissue, including the partial amputation of her tail. In addition, an untreated eye condition called KCS left her with deficient tear production and chronic dry eyes. To alleviate her discomfort, she was put on a daily regimen of prescription eye drops.

Because of all she had been through, Cosita displayed some fear around new people. She didn’t like to be touched on certain parts of her body, and she growled at strangers. But the 7-pound pooch’s problems weren’t enough to hide her sweet heart, and adopter Adam G. was determined to earn her trust.

Adam met Cosita at the end of August, nearly two months after her arrival at the ASPCA. A lifelong animal lover, he had come to the Adoption Center seeking “a partner in crime to take care of and spend time with every day.” Rather than being intimidated by Cosita’s issues, he saw them as something that could bring them together. “I knew she was for me because we both have allergies, a noticeable scar, and she looked like a curious friendly clown when I saw her for the first time, tilting her head side to side,” he recalls. He adopted her the same day he met her and vowed to give her the happy life she so clearly deserved.

Once home, Adam changed Cosita’s name to Cookie, and in the last eight weeks they have become inseparable. Cookie quickly learned to trust Adam and, thanks to his kindness and patience, seems to have forgotten her sad past entirely. Adam tells us, “Cookie loves to snuggle, be rubbed on her tummy, chew on her bone, hide her toys, and follow me everywhere.”

After all Cookie has been through, we are so thrilled that the sweet dog has found a loving “forever home.” It takes a special kind of adopter to help an animal work through her fears, and Adam has done an incredible job. And not only is she a happy and playful partner for Adam, she is also, as he says, “So freaking cute!!”