Imagine bringing home a scared, gentle puppy—only to watch him run back into the bushes every time things feel overwhelming.
That was the reality for Bianca Polizzi and her partner, Logan Collins, when they first fostered a tiny, traumatized rescue dog they eventually named Peanut.
Peanut had been rescued from the wilderness in Bali, abandoned and shivering, his fur barely there and his spirit deeply shaken.
His first days in their care were heartbreaking: he hid in the garden, yelped if touched, and wouldn’t come when called.
Polizzi remembers spending hours talking to him out in the bushes, trying to coax him into feeling safe.
It wasn’t a simple adjustment—it was a slow, painfully delicate dance of trust.
They already had a rescue dog, Ekko—an older, one-eyed pup—and Polizzi says that was the key. It was Ekko who convinced Peanut the world wasn’t all strange and scary.
With patience, soft nudges, and calm energy, Ekko coaxed Peanut out of hiding.
There was no magic trick, just a steady presence and a deep bond forming between two dogs.
Gradually, Peanut started coming out more—but even now, he still sometimes disappears into the plants.
Polizzi wasn’t sure why until she watched one of her own TikTok videos: Peanut was back in his hiding spot, curled up in the bushes, and she realized it wasn’t just fear.
The bush reminded him of where he came from—of his past, of a time when wildness felt like both danger and home.
That realization broke her heart. For Peanut, the bushes were more than a hiding place—they were a memory anchor, a reminder of his traumatic start.
It was a safe place, not because it was perfect, but because it felt familiar in his fractured memory.
Knowing that, Polizzi understood something profound: his shyness wasn’t a flaw. It was a scar.
But the good news? Peanut is healing. His fur has grown back.
He now seeks refuge not only in his old bushes but also in Polizzi’s bedroom—his safe space with people who love him.
He’s learning, day by day, how to trust kindness, to relax, to be a puppy again.
Polizzi openly shares his progress on TikTok, and people are responding.
She hopes his story will encourage others to adopt and not shop, to give traumatized puppies the time, patience, and love they desperately need.
Peanut is a reminder that rescue work isn’t just about saving lives.
It’s about understanding histories—even the ones we can’t fully see—and helping wounds heal with empathy, not force.
He’s showing everyone who watches that sometimes, trust takes root in memory, and that love is the most powerful kind of shelter.
