Just a few days ago, there was an article published on a popular news site detailing why people shouldn’t hug their dogs. Among the reasons, it stated that dogs were irritated by hugs but tolerated them from their owners. Yup, for real.

As a dog owner I thought, “Oh chiz, should I stop hugging mine even though his tail’s wagging?” Heck no! I can tell he digs it. For volunteer dog walker Kayla Filoon, she too learned that her new forever pet would dig them as well.

Kayla, a college student at Temple University, volunteers her time at a local animal shelter in Philly. Russ was a stray pit bull brought in a few weeks ago with a lot of health issues. Abused and abandoned, he had kennel cough and issues with his skin and eyes. The poor guy was also underweight, but Kayla noticed how calm he was as he sat in his pen. He also was transfixed by her.

She took him outside for some routine play time and treats, and that’s when Kayla first noticed he kept snuggling up against her. She took to him, and he to her. She went home thinking about him, and shared her thoughts with family and friends. Kayla also had thoughts in the back of her mind about the shelter putting animals down. Lately, there were many being euthanized.

After another visit with Russ, Kayla decided to act quickly and applied to adopt him. The two have been inseparable since, with their bond being sealed since the day they met. But Kayla and Russ’s story didn’t go viral just because it’s another shelter rescue tale. It’s much sweeter.

A friend snapped a picture of an unaware Kayla doing homework and there was Russ laid up against her back, hugging her. Aww, sounds cute huh? This was a real embrace with his doggie “arms” wrapped around Kayla and his head on her shoulder! Is that love or what? The picture made its rounds on the Internet, as did Kayla and Russ’s sweet story.

According to Kayla, Russ loves to cuddle up close to her all the time. He’s a bonafied hugger! The affectionate pup tags along with Kayla on trips and sometimes hangs out with her on campus too. Drawing attention to Russ also helped drum up attention for other shelter dogs who need loving forever homes.

Thank goodness Kayla’s volunteer work led her to rescue Russ from a lesser fate. Both of them charmed one another, and Russ’s personality begs to challenge the notion that dogs just tolerate human hugs. He’s definitely feeling and giving the canine love!

And to all you dog owners out there, go ahead and keep expressing your love with cuddles and hugs. Who wouldn’t need one every so often?

What do you think about how things lined up for Kayla and Russ? Do you have a pet that likes to give and receive hugs too? Share with us in the comments!