Gizmo the Chihuahua did not have an easy start in life. She was rescued from an apartment with almost 100 other dogs before her loving owner Kelly Beasley gave her a new life. But then the poor pooch suffered another blow.

Gizmo, also known as Gizzie, has been delighting her fans on TikTok since 2021.

With Kelly's help, wheresgizzie has grown to over 800,000 followers waiting for the latest clip, whether it's about feeding time, cuddling, or going on walks.

Given that the 11-year-old Chihuahua weighs just 2.5 pounds, her owner has to keep a close eye on her during strolls through the woods or in remote fields – wild animals such as birds of prey or coyotes could pounce on the tiny thing at any time, and she would struggle to defend herself.

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But it's not just predators out in nature that pose problems. In fact, free-roaming dogs are more likely to be the problem, with Gizmo awakening their hunting instinct.

"It happens often and it's infuriating. I have a little dog that, on or off leash, is like prey to certain dogs. That said, I do not let her out unattended.," Kelly told TAG24.

That hasn't stopped the two from getting around a lot since they became an inseparable pair.

Kelly adopted Gizzie in September 2013.

"I saw her and could not handle her cuteness. I wasn’t a Chihuahua fan at all, but she was incredible," she said.

Back then, the one-year-old was rescued from a messy household that was home to a whopping 97 other dogs. Kelly, who was volunteering at the Alaqua Animal Refuge in Florida at the time, immediately fell in love.

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A vet initially took Gizzie in, thinking her bloated and swollen body was a sign of pregnancy – but it was actually horrific malnutrition.

"She decided to keep Giz, named Tatiana at the time. But G never took to them because of the very small space and hyperactive son. So she asked me if I still wanted to adopt her and I said 'of course!' Never looked back," Kelly said.

Since then, Gizmo has enjoyed a quiet, comfortable life. She's less social toward other people and dogs, and with age, that tendency is only increasing.

So far, the capricious canine hasn't let anyone but Kelly get close to her.

"My business partner has been trying to get her to 'like' him for years now, even going as far as feeding her a little chicken every night, but as soon as the chicken is gone, so is she. It’s kind of sad," she explained.

Kelly Beasley has her own online business, teaching people about the carefree nomadic life in an RV. Originally from Florida, she has been touring all over North America for five and a half years – always with Gizmo at her side.

"I love being nomadic. It suits me. The freedom is incredible," she gushed.

Now and then, Kelly does feel the need to stand still, but she can always just park her RV in someone else's driveway – a practice she calls "moochdocking."

Her friends and family have been very accepting of her lifestyle –"long as I come and see them," the 50-year-old added.

Life on the road is also good for her four-legged sidekick, as Kelly pointed out: "Gizzie gets the best life, new smells all the time, new places, and I'm there all the time since I work for myself."

Sure, there were some reservations initially, which quickly turned into serious concerns when the Kelly noticed that her pooch would often shake almost uncontrollably.

But that turned out to have nothing to do with the RV, or even anxiety. It was physical pain, which Gizzie still suffers today.

About two years ago, Kelly realized that Gizmo's shaking fits were actually caused by pain in the dog's neck area.

The area was sensitive to the touch, drawing yelps of agony from the poor pooch.

At the time, Gizzie would wake her owner up at night and crawl into bed to be as close as possible to her.

"She would also sometimes look like something invisible just shocked her and she’d slink away looking for help or to hide," Kelly recalled.

X-rays led to a diagnosis of Intervertebral Disc Disease.

"She was on painkillers for it for about a year or more," Kelly told TAG24. "Then it got worse, started looking like a seizure to me. That’s much more recent when I took her to the vet immediately in Las Cruces, New Mexico."

On February 1, Gizmo underwent more X-rays, CT scans, and an MRI, which led to a full diagnosis that came as a blow to Gizzie: she suffers from atlanto-axial instability.

"Atlanto-axial instability, from what I understand, too large of a gap between the first vertebrate and the skull. She either has stretched out ligaments there or may never have had them, as happens sometimes in small breeds," Kelly explains.

If left untreated, this serious condition can lead to paralysis or even death.

"This is why she has to wear the neck brace 24/7, no exceptions," Kelly explained.

And she really does mean no exceptions – the support can't be removed under any circumstances: "Even the vet didn't take it off during her follow-up, it's just too risky."

So what caused all of this? The answer is probably genetics, or as Kelly puts it, "tiny dog problems."

That doesn't make it any easier to accept for Kelly. "There's nothing I can do about it. It sucks to watch."

There's hope for Gizzie yet, though.

An operation to fix the defect would spell the end of that uncomfortable neck brace. But it costs a lot: between $12,000 and $14,000.

Tiny screws would be inserted to fix and stabilize Gizzie's neck, also closing the gap between the first vertebra and the skull.

Since the chances of a full recovery are about 80%, Kelly intends to take those odds.

"She's going to have [the surgery]. If she passes, I did my best. It’s a risk I’m wiling to take to give her her happy life back.," she insisted.

"She will have to wear the brace for about 5 months after the surgery, unfortunately. Again, that’s better than for the rest of her life."

Meanwhile, Gizmo's considerable fanbase is doing its part to help out.

When Kelly took the advice to set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for the little social media star's operation, it took less than five hours for her goal of $16,000 to be met and surpassed. Donations reached $21,000 before the fundraiser was stopped.

"This was truly jaw-dropping. The speed at which people jumped right in and donated blew me away," Kelly said. "I'm incredibly grateful for the fans who wanted to help and pitched in to cover the cost of supporting Gizzie."

So what is it about this tiny dog with a huge heart that managed to mobilize so much kindness? Gizzie's human thinks she knows the answer.

"I realize it's because they get a lot from her. She's like joy in a cute little chihuahua package. They feel it. I get it. That’s exactly why I started sharing her online."

"The universe provides. You get back what you put out there. Gizzie and I share joy."