When it comes to the story of Kuma and Justin Theroux, we all know that she was a rescue pup out of Texas who has become a social media icon. And while her story has been shared quite often, and the pup and her famous father do their part to raise awareness for adoption and other important aspects of rescue pups, it can be hard to really picture what it means for Kuma to have been a rescue dog.
But on November 9, not only did the pup remind us of where she started, but she also gave us all an important reminder for ourselves.
In a picture shared to Kuma’s Instagram account, we get to see the very first picture ever taken of the social media darling. And it is in many ways heartbreaking. After all, there are still hundreds, if not thousands, of dogs that are still living in awful conditions and may look just as rough as Kuma Theroux did when she was first rescued. (And for some dogs, they look much worse than this depending on just how awful their situation is.)
However, the point of Kuma’s post was not so much about what she once looked like, but rather a message of hope.
Kuma Theroux shares a powerful message with the help of a photo from before she was adopted by Justin Theroux
In the caption of the Instagram post, it reads
"This is the first photo anyone ever took of me. If you’re having a tough time, remember … it gets better."
The message ends with a hearts emoji and the ever present #AdoptDontShop, which is an important reminder.
When it comes to the message of “Adopt, Don’t Shop,” we sometimes forget why this is so important. But then we see posts like this and realize that there is so much more to the story than the happy and healthy pups we see today. There is an entire history behind the happiness. And while we may acknowledge it, sometimes it takes seeing a post like this to drive the idea home.
Of course, the fact that this is Kuma’s way of giving all of us hope even in tough times is the kind of beauty that we expect from dogs (even if it is a person behind their social media accounts).
Do you follow Kuma or Justin Theroux on Instagram? Did you see this post when it went live?