Massachusetts - With trembling paws and an uncertain look, puppy CJ began a new life full of love after a troubled start.

Stephanie Ruocco never considered herself a "dog person," as she told Newsweek recently, but fate had other plans!

One day, she spotted an emaciated dog on the screen of her trail camera on her property.

"He was mangy-looking and bone-thin," Stephanie said. "I thought it was a coyote at first and posted the video on my Facebook community page."

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But the animal turned out to be a missing rescue dog named Ghost, who had been lost and left to fend for himself in the woods for weeks.

So, Stephanie began to provide him with food and water, but it was a long time before the dog was able to trust a human again.

"Something about his fear of people mirrored my own unease, and it hit me hard," she explained. "I didn't have a grand plan to rescue him. I just wanted to make sure he was fed and strong enough to survive out there."

After much thought, Stephanie decided to take in the dog, whom she had since named CJ. When he first entered his new home, he was unsure and cautious, and she filmed the special moment to share on TikTok.

At first, Stephanie wanted to hand CJ over to a local animal shelter, but she changed her mind at the last minute.

"I started to feel protective," she said. "I wasn't OK with just handing him over without knowing he'd be safe and loved. That's when it hit me… we wanted to advocate for him and, ultimately, adopt him and care for him."

Stephanie was so determined to keep CJ that she even paid his former owner $800 in compensation.

"For a dog who spent so long in the woods, he's remarkably well-mannered and affectionate," Stephanie added. "You can see the relief in him now that he no longer has to worry about his next meal or watch his back."