When Rosie Doherty opened her heart and home to a 10-year-old Doberman named Ron, she didn't know that she was beginning a beautiful bond between them.

But in a recent video, Doherty, who lives in the U.K., shared that the senior dog had become a constant presence, loving to be as close to her as possible at all times.

Doherty initially volunteered as a foster parent through a nearby Doberman rescue group, but she didn't expect Ron to become such a permanent fixture in her life. The elderly Doberman was surrendered to the rescue organization by his previous owner, who claimed he was 14. But after a vet scan, the owner discovered that Ron was actually 10 and a half years old, and in need of a loving place to retire.

"I saw they needed an emergency foster for an 'elderly Doberman' on Facebook, so I volunteered. I drove two hours to pick him up, and the rest is history," Doherty told Newsweek. "He'll be staying with me to retire."

From the moment Ron arrived, it was clear he was a people-loving dog. He immediately sat beside her, leaning in for comfort. Although he took some time to fully relax, after about a month, Ron began cuddling up and even lying on her, as if knowing he had finally found a safe place to call home.

In a heartwarming video shared on TikTok, he is seen curling up on top of his new owner, clearly enamored. In the caption, his new owner joked: "Personal space? Never heard of her."

In 2023, 6.5 million animals entered U.S. shelters, according to Shelter Animals Count, up 4 percent when compared to 2022 intakes. At the end of 2023, 117,000 additional dogs and cats were in the animal sheltering system compared to the same time the year before.

While more dogs are entering shelters, there is also evidence that older dogs have a harder time finding homes and being adopted. A 2019 study found that dogs over seven years old wait an average of 50 days for adoption, while dogs under one year old are adopted within just 11 days.

"He really is the sweetest boy, and I would encourage anyone to rescue elderly dogs if they can, or any dogs at all, really," Doherty said. "I wanted to share videos of him to show people how rewarding it can be."

After she shared her loving senior dog on TikTok, people headed to the comments to react to Ron's behavior.

"He's protecting his mamma; you gave him his forever home, now he's on duty every day to take care of you," viewer Geronimo said.

While TikToker alskxivneuzhwb wrote: "I absolutely love this. In every way."

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.