A simple hug can mean so much.

For Toro, it is an expression of the immense love and gratitude he feels after having been saved from the hell he was living in.

The abused pup was found chained to a fence in front of an abandoned building, and his rescuers believe that he may very well have spent his entire life outside.

Luckily, Toro is safe now, and he wants the world to know just how thankful he is.

When Toro first arrived at the shelter, he was very scared and nervous.

After having spent so much of his life alone, neglected and without kindness, the pup wasn’t sure what to expect from his new surroundings.

But though he was shy and cautious, it was also clear that he was a very kind, gentle-hearted pup who just wanted to be a good boy.

Since arriving at the shelter, he’s slowly been trying to break out of his shell, and though he still gets anxious and overwhelmed sometimes, he’s already come a long way.

Because despite battling his own insecurities, Toro is doing everything he can to ensure that his rescuers know just how much he loves and appreciates them.

They’ve treated him with such care and kindness and his little heart is filled with so much love for them that he just has to let it out.

And so, he has begun handing out hugs to everyone he meets at the shelter.

It all started one day when he was out exercising in the shelter’s play yard. He was having such a nice time frolicking in the fresh air when he suddenly turned around and came running back to staff member Melissa Fogarty who was keeping him company.

He crawled up into her lap and pressed himself against her chest, melting into the most beautiful, loving hug ever.

Fogarty was surprised and deeply, deeply moved by Toro’s sweet and heartfelt gesture.

After that first hug, the hugs just kept on coming. Now, Toro is constantly handing out hugs and he’s melting everyone’s hearts.

It’s clear that Toro just wants to make sure that everyone knows just how grateful he is to be free of his sad and miserable past and to have blessed with all the love and care he’s always dreamed about.

Now, Toro is looking for his perfect forever family. He’s already been at the shelter for over a year without finding his perfect match.

All he wants is to find a calm and steady home where he can feel loved and safe.

“I honestly think he hasn’t been adopted because he’s a middle-aged pit mix living in a high-intake municipal shelter. He gets lost in this sea of dogs,” Fogarty told The Dodo.

But now that Toro is starting to gain some attention online, we’re sure that his future forever family is going to spot him very soon and just know that they’re meant to give him the life he was always meant to lead.

And until then, little Toro is so very happy and grateful to have the whole shelter doting over him, and he’ll keep handing out those magical hugs.