Abandoned Dog Becomes Social Media Darling

By Amy Sinatra Ayres

Tuna had a rough start to life before his foster mom - and 450,00 more fans - fell in love with him.

The Chiweenie (a cross between a Chihuahua and a Dachshund) with a great big overbite, thought to be the result of irresponsible breeding, was found on a roadside in San Diego, according to Dogster.

A Good Samaritan picked him up and brought him to a farmers market in search of an adopter. There, the little dog, who she called Wormy because of the way he would crawl submissively on his belly, was taken in by Courtney Dasher.

At first, Dasher only committed to fostering the pooch until a good home was found. But the little guy managed to steal her heart in the meantime.

Related: 10 Reasons Puppies and Dogs End Up Homeless

Dasher went through a whole host of names for before deciding on Tuna. First, he was Mr. Burns, after the Simpsons character who's well known for his overbite. Then, she changed it to Toonie because of his cartoonish looks. But, finally, Tuna was the name that stuck.

Eventually, Dash starting sharing photos of the unusual-looking pup on Instagram, and he gained fast fame.

"My heart is overwhelmed with gratitude every time I think of you and your adoration for Tuna!" wrote tunameltsmyheart on Instagram.

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