The moment a rescue dog realized he had found his forever home, with a yard and two boys to play with, has been captured on camera.

Megan Wyrick, a dog trainer who specializes in behavior modification, took to TikTok, posting under the handle @megan_offroad, to share footage of the moment her new rescue dog, Echo, realized he wasn’t going back to the shelter.

Wyrick’s husband works for the coast guard, flying C-130 airplanes. Last summer, the family moved to Akhiok, a village located on Alaska’s picturesque Kodiak Island.

It was an exciting change for all of the family, but sadly something, or rather someone, was missing: Billabong, Wyrick’s 13-year-old rescue dog. “Our beloved dog passed unexpectedly in March,” Wyrick told Newsweek. “The ‘plan’ was to wait until my husband retires, as this is his last tour, and get a dog when we settle down.”

However, those plans quickly went out of the window after the family moved to Akhiok. “I decided home wasn’t home without a dog,” Wyrick said. “It wasn’t about any dog though. It was about the right dog.” Wyrick was right to see getting a dog as an essential part of their stay in Alaska. Studies have highlighted the positive impact dog ownership can have on mental health in times of additional stress.

In a 2024 study published in the journal Emotion, researchers enlisted 73 U.S. dog owners to undertake a stress-inducing task followed by one of three activities: sitting quietly, coloring in or interacting with their dog. They found those spending time with their dogs had the best mood and lowest anxiety levels of any of the three groups. The positive impact of spending time with a dog was clear to see.

Eager to find that special four-legged friend, Wyrick drove to a small local shelter to begin the search. That was when she met the dog she would come to know as Echo. “He is a little over a year old, 14-16 months, and came from a little village on the other side of Kodiak Island,” Wyrick said. “The previous home he was in had a few intact males, and you can imagine how that went. Echo was the last to join so he was the one that was surrendered—luckily for us!”

Sometimes it just instantly clicks with a rescue dog. That appears to have been the case for Wyrick and Echo. “I spent a few hours with him on a Friday and then we brought him home on the Saturday,” she said. “It’s been a perfect fit.”

Her two sons are delighted to have a dog again. In the video posted to @megan_offroad, they can be seen playing with Echo out in the snow. It’s a joyous moment for all concerned. Watching on from the window, Echo’s reaction sparked a moment of realization for Wyrick: he had realized he was home. Wyrick’s video captures his joyful, bouncy energy.

The moment Echo realized he was home. | TikTok/megan_offroad/A dog’s delighted reaction.

“That feeling when you realize you are never going back to the shelter and your forever home has a yard and two boys to play with forever,” Wyrick’s onscreen caption accompanying the clip reads. That moment made it all worthwhile for Wyrick and serves as a reminder of why it’s better to adopt rather than shop. “His joy brings me joy,” Wyrick wrote alongside the clip.

While Echo has plenty of time to enjoy Alaska’s snow and rugged scenery, in due course, when Wyrick’s husband does retire, the family will move back to California. We can’t wait to see Echo’s reaction to that either.