‘King’ was on one of long walks at the Humane Society of Pinellas in Clearwater, Florida, when he was introduced to a construction worker who was working on the society’s brand new Sjouwerman Adoption Centre.

“We knew that it was going to be the right fit for him, someone who kind of already previously knew him, someone who knew his background, someone who knew they could work with him,” Florida shelter spokesperson Peyton Davis said.

The worker “slowly fell in love with” King and asked to become his foster parent.

“Fate stepped in and King was adopted by this amazing man,” the shelter wrote. “Congrats to King and his furever family! We are so happy for him!”

When King arrived at the society in June, he had a 7-pound mass on his face.

“It was 10% of his entire body weight…” Davis said. “He could barely pick his head up. He could barely move around.”

Despite his condition, King was a “sweet” 5-year-old dog eager to give kisses. He became known for his resilience.

“King’s spirit was unbroken; even though he was uncomfortable and in pain, he had an inspiring upbeat attitude and only wanted to be loved,” the shelter wrote in a past Facebook post.

Shelter workers didn’t know what King’s fate would be when he went into a “difficult” surgery to get the mass removed. The procedure was a success, and the mass turned out to be benign. Though the shelter doesn’t know how the lump formed, Davis said it could have stemmed from an infection that was neglected.

After the surgery freed his movements, the pup had to relearn how to play. He also was heartworm positive and started receiving treatment, according to Davis.