Man Notices Dog Following Him While on Vacation in Puerto Rico, Realizes He Can't Leave Her Behind (Exclusive)

TikTok user @eddienchooch215 says his new dog, CiCi, is right at home after living life as a stray

A Philadelphia man has gone viral on TikTok and Instagram after taking a vacation to Puerto Rico and coming back with the ultimate souvenir: a stray dog.

Content creator Eddie — who goes by the handle @eddienchooch215 on both Instagram and TikTok —and his girlfriend traveled to Puerto Rico on vacation and, on their very first beach day, came across a black and white dog.

They knew immediately that the dog — whom they named CiCi — would fit right in back home.

"We saw CiCi on a Tuesday and went back to find her on a Wednesday," Eddie tells PEOPLE.

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Through the power of social media, Eddie and his girlfriend were connected to Souls of Satos, a Puerto Rico dog adoption organization.

"We brought Cici to Souls of Satos on Wednesday night," he says. "And she was in Philly the following weekend."

Eddie charted every step of the journey on social media, sharing a video of the first time he saw CiCi while he and his girlfriend were on their way to the beach.

"We got ourselves a little buddy, walking to the beach, in Puerto Rico," he says in the video, as footage shows CiCi following along behind him and eagerly accepting food from his outstretched hand.

Elsewhere in the video, CiCi can be seen leading Eddie to the beach and then following him directly into the ocean.

After spending the day together, CiCi can then be seen running alongside the couple's car as they head back to their Airbnb.

In follow-up videos, Eddie shares that he went back for CiCi, ultimately finding her and putting her in his car before taking her to the rescue organization, which took her to a vet.

The vet vaccinated CiCi, spayed her and determined that she had heart worm. Because she appeared to be in the early stages of the disease, the vet and rescue organization arranged for CiCi to travel to Philadelphia quickly, so she could be treated at her new home.

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Upon arrival, Cici greeted Eddie and his girlfriend on U.S. soil, with the couple holding "Welcome Home" balloons as they embraced their new addition.

She also met Eddie's other dog, Chooch, who he's had for over seven years and who is a mainstay on his social media accounts. The two bonded immediately, and can be seen in several videos playing together in Eddie's home and yard.

"CiCi is loving her new life with her brother Chooch," he says. "She’s keeping him young."

CiCi, whom Eddie estimates to be approximately one year old, is also keeping young, and is now much more clean — and well-fed — than when she was first spotted as a stray.

He says: "She doesn’t have to worry about where her next meal is going to come from and doesn’t have to deal with getting eaten alive by bugs. She’s enjoying a comfortable bed in a cool, air-conditioned house."

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