The viral story of how Chewy helped console a pet owner after losing her dog is unforgettable
The best of humanity comes in many forms.

A picture of Anna Brose's beloved Gus.
Many of us know Chewy as the online marketplace for all things pet goods. What you might not know is the extra care that the company provides to pet owners after the loss of a beloved fur baby. That is, until one woman’s story went viral on Twitter.
Anna Brose (@alcesanna) had to say goodbye to her sweet dog named Gus. To make an already tragic event worse, she had an unopened bag of dog food purchased from Chewy that would now go unused. Brose was so surprised by the company’s compassion and generosity that she felt compelled to share her experience online.
Her tweet read:
“I contacted @Chewy last week to see if I could return an unopened bag of my dog’s food after he died. They 1) gave me a full refund, 2) told me to donate the food to the shelter, and 3) had flowers delivered today with the gift note signed by the person I talked to??”
I contacted @Chewy last week to see if I could return an unopened bag of my dog’s food after he died. They 1) gave me a full refund, 2) told me to donate the food to the shelter, and 3) had flowers delivered today with the gift note signed by the person I talked to?? 😭🥹
— Anna Brose, MSc (@alcesanna) June 15, 2022
That's right. A full refund, plus a heartfelt note and flowers. NBD.
Much to Brose’s surprise, she was not the only one on the receiving end of such kindness.
Pretty soon stories from other grieving pet parents came flooding in praising Chewy for going above and beyond during their time of mourning.
One person shared, “@Chewy did the same for me when we lost our sweet boy, Murphy Brown. I’d just ordered 2 cases of his special kidney diet food, and they arrived after he passed. But they gave a full refund and told us to just donate the food to a shelter. That act of kindness meant so much.”
A person who works at an animal shelter confirmed this is Chewy’s standard practice, saying, “We often have people reaching out to donate because Chewy told them to reach out to a local shelter. I can’t express what this means to shelter’s like mine. Truly a gift.”
Many reported that Chewy even sends hand-painted pet portraits, like this one:
My hubby used to work for @Chewy and he always raved about their customer service. They sent us a small painting of my Simba when he passed. I’m sorry for your loss 💔💔 pic.twitter.com/5EanjKXljx
— CFOLS (@bruins77girl) June 16, 2022
Can you imagine having a beautiful memento like this to cherish? Of course it doesn’t replace the pet that’s now gone, but man, what a great way to make such a painful transition a little more bearable. Customer service is great and all, but this is a wonderful example of businesses displaying humanity.
That kindness isn’t limited to times of grief, either. Chewy apparently sends birthday cards, and seems to often encourage customers to donate all kinds of unwanted items after giving a full refund.
“I bought 4 sling carriers from Chewy to try for my new rescue dog. Only used one. Was shocked when @Chewy told me to just donate the rest after my refund. Brought them to [a] local rescue dog group who were happy to take them,” wrote one person.
As a mother of two cats—and a regular Chewy customer—I was both shocked to realize the company did all this, not to mention touched. I wasn’t alone. People were floored.
Sorry for your loss. And what a pleasant response from @Chewy. Very uplifting. I hope that it gave you a moment to smile during your sadness.
— Rick Bright (@RickABright) June 16, 2022
Now I’m crying. That’s beautiful.
— Elaine (@LexiApollo) June 16, 2022
First, I’m sorry that your dog has passed and I know that pain well. It’s very difficult. As for Chewy? I think that’s amazing! So kind of them to be so sensitive to what you’re going through. Take care.
— Tracy (@Hydrangea1960) June 15, 2022
As for Chewy—since Brose’s tweet went viral, the company did see it, and left its own response.
“It's the least we could do, Anna. We hope these flowers will help to keep your spirits up.”
We don’t always picture corporations having a heart. But it is a possibility. Huge kudos to Chewy for providing pet owners true care … in more ways than one.
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."