Poor Smiley was just scared and distressed after having lost his family and his home. Things were looking bad for Smiley; he needed to find a family before his time was up or he’d be put down.

The only thing that was missing was a suitable foster home, and that’s when Olena Kagui entered the picture.

A Facebook post describing Smiley’s predicament caught the eye of Kagui. Something about Smiley spoke to Kagui on a deeper level and his story brought her to tears.

Once Kagui got her husband on board, Smiley’s fate was finally starting to look brighter.

After coming home to Kagui, Smiley was initially nervous and had a hard time relaxing. He had been betrayed before and could not quite trust that his life was finally changing for the better.

But Kagui was patient and bit by bit, day by day, Kagui started to settle down. His new family noticed that he pulled less at his leash, he slept through the night and he was thrilled to meet other dogs and people at the park.

The nervous dog transformed into an affectionate pup who loved everyone around him and Kagui and her husband soon found that they couldn’t bear the thought of handing Smiley over to a new family.

They realized that they were meant to be even more than his foster family – they were going to be his forever family too. Now, Kagui and her husband are preparing to officially adopt Smiley. They’re going to make sure that he never has to go homeless or feel unloved ever again.

Smiley’s finally found a family who truly loves and cares for him and doesn’t see him as disposable or an inconvenience.

He’s so happy in his new home and can, at last, truly live up to his name.