When Niall Harbison began feeding the stray dogs of Koh Samui, Thailand, he never expected one little pup to turn the kindness around and start giving back.
For him, the joy came from watching hungry dogs finally get a decent meal and a little affection. But for a scrappy street pup named Snickers, that wasn’t enough — she wanted to say thank you in her own special way.
Harbison first met Snickers when she was just 4 months old. She’d once belonged to a local family, but like so many dogs in the area, she was left to fend for herself once the novelty of puppyhood wore off. Life on the streets was harsh, full of cars, danger, and hunger.
Snickers quickly became one of the 1,000 dogs Harbison feeds every single day — but unlike the others, she decided to repay him for his kindness.
Her first gift? A single flip-flop.
“It felt like she was saying, ‘Here you go, you could use a new pair of shoes,’” Harbison recalled with a laugh.
From that moment on, Snickers never showed up empty-pawed. Day after day, she proudly presented him with whatever she could scavenge — muddy toys, random objects, and mismatched shoes. To Harbison, each one was priceless.
“All she had to give was whatever she found on the streets, plus her entire heart,” he wrote.
For an entire year, Snickers kept up her daily routine of gift-giving, showing a kind of gratitude Harbison had rarely seen in stray dogs.
“I think it’s her way of showing love,” he explained. “Like when pet dogs bring their owners toys when they get home.”
Eventually, Harbison — who runs Happy Doggo Rescue — decided it was time to give Snickers the biggest gift of all: a real home.
He brought her into his sanctuary, where she could finally relax and learn what it meant to just be a dog.
There was one thing Snickers had never experienced: play. Thankfully, another rescue dog named Teddy stepped in to teach her fetch. Within 10 minutes, she had it down.
You can watch Snickers play fetch here:
Not long after, Harbison surprised Snickers with something she’d never expected — her very own box of toys, a new collar, and a fresh bandana. After giving him over 100 little “presents” on the streets, Snickers finally had treasures of her own.
Watch Snickers receive her surprise box of toys here:
Snickers was overjoyed to receive her new toys, first collar and bandana. After a few hours of playing, Snickers settled into her bed at Happy Doggo’s headquarters and began dreaming of her future family.
Today, Snickers is safe, loved, and waiting for the next big chapter — a forever family.
“Her gifts were always from the heart,” Harbison said. “Now she deserves a family who will treasure her the same way.”
If you’d like to adopt Snickers, you can email adopt@happydoggo.com.
To help dogs like her, consider supporting Happy Doggo Rescue here.
