A newborn puppy needs food, shelter, warmth, and love. So when just days-old Joy was found without any of these life-sustaining necessities on a sidewalk in Romania, the nonprofit animal rescue Howl of a Dog came to his aid.

Weighing less than half a pound, Joy — like any other newborn dog — was blind, deaf, and incapable of maintaining a warm body temperature. Like a human baby, these creatures rely on their caregivers for safety and comfort. And although he didn’t have a doting mother or brothers and sisters close by for warmth, the pup was given everything he needed for more than four months at Howl of a Dog.

This five-minute video shows the sweet dog being bottle-fed milk, cuddled and pet on a soft blanket, and resting for hours on end. His favorite stuffed toy, a black-and-white striped Siberian tiger, is his constant companion as weeks pass and Joy meets full-grown dogs while coming into his own as a playful pooch romping with new friends and rolling in the grass.

Just before Christmas, a couple living in the Netherlands adopts Joy. Ellen and Ricardo waste no time in picking up their new family member, driving more than 1,500 miles round-trip and meeting in Vienna to bring Joy home for the holidays.

Nearing the end of the video, viewers get to see Joy as an adult dog with a teddy bear-like face and a gorgeous black, white, and tan coat. Digging at the beach and frolicking in the snow, it becomes clear that Joy has lived up to his name.