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Touching video shows blind senior dog being spoiled for 28 days before being put to sleep

He had only just gotten adopted.

Photo credit: Canva

Pet grief is real.

A TikTok video by Kate Schakols has been seen over 100 million times because it is a touching example of empathy and human kindness. It also shows that a dog who’s lived a life of hardship can find joy and peace when given a loving home.

Schakols and her family fell in love with Rooster, a dog that was estimated to be between 10 to 12 years old, at the Gulf Coast STARS rescue in 2020 and adopted him. Rooster was blind in one eye, had benign lumps and most of his elbow pads and teeth were worn down from digging in concrete for food. "The bond I had with Rooster was unreal," she told People. "I'd never felt that specific type of connection before, and it was obvious to everyone that he had chosen me to be his person."

Sadly, after 28 days, Rooster developed dog bloat and had to be humanely euthanized. Even though their time together was far too short, Schakols was happy to have comforted Rooster in his final days.

pet grief, losing a pet, pet memorial, humane euthanasia, rescue dog"I think I love my mom the most."www.tiktok.com


She told their brief but touching story in a slideshow video (below) from Rooster’s perspective. Rooster is seen rolling in the grass, playing with new siblings, enjoying a car ride, while heartbreakingly sweet messages about "mom" appear onscreen.

"I think I love my mom the most. I hope she knows. She’s love me more than anyone ever has," one reads.

Another says, “She doesn't seem to care that I can’t see very well, that I have missing fur and teeth, and I’m old and lumpy,…She says I’m beautiful every day.”

Then on Rooster's final day, we read “I think it’s time to go. I hope my mom will be okay. I can hear her crying and begging someone named God not to take me.”

pet grief, losing a pet, pet memorial, humane euthanasia, rescue dog“I think it’s time to go. I hope my mom will be okay."www.tiktok.com

By telling the story from Rooster’s point of view, Schakols shows the incredible empathy and understanding she shared with the dog. It also gives people who may not be considering adopting a senior dog, an idea of what it means for an older dog to live in comfort in their final days.

"There’s so many stories of dogs being adopted but passing soon after and I think they finally felt peace and comfort and safe to let themselves go," one person wrote in the comments. "It’s like he held on until he could feel love and joy. When he did he was finally at peace and able to cross the rainbow bridge," another added.

Losing a pet can evoke profound grief, often comparable to the loss of a family member, and it's important to acknowledge and process these emotions. and that's exactly what Schakols continues to advocate for on social media.

@ksam325 #goldenretriever #tripoddog #cancer #bestfriend ♬ original sound - sof

“All I ever want from my page is to encourage people to understand that pet loss is valid and a very real type of disenfranchised grief."

A powerful way to process some of these tough emotions, as Schakols has demonstrated, is to memorialize your fur baby in some way. Be that through a video, making a donation in their name, creating a photo collage. It can be as extensive or minimal as you see fit.

pet grief, losing a pet, pet memorial, humane euthanasia, rescue dogThat way a piece of them stays with you forever. Photo credit: Canva

It doesn't take away the pain, per se, but it does make it easier to move through.

This article originally appeared last year

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Golden Retriever learns to play piano like a pro, thanks to dad's amazing editing skills

But wait. Did he really learn to play piano?

@aguyandagolden/TikTok

All of their videos are so well done.

If you’re not following Jonathan Lower and his golden retriever Teddy on their @aguyandagolden TikTok channel, you’re missing out on some grade A wholesome entertainment. According to an interview with Fox, Lower noticed that audiences were more interested in videos of Teddy than his regular videos home improvement projects. So Lower gave the people what they wanted—extremely well edited skits, all with Teddy as the star. And now, they are both full-time content creators. To give you a taste of what they do, Lower recently posted a video of Teddy revealing some pretty impressive piano playing skills.

In the clip, Lower drops Teddy off at grandma’s for the day, where Teddy is so moved by grandma’s piano rendition of “Beauty and The Beast” that he sheds a single tear.

As soon as grandma leaves, Teddy begins tinkering at the keys, and even pulls up a Youtube tutorial for piano playing. Teddy’s hard work pays off too, because by the time Lower gets back, he’s able to play “Colors of the Wind” like it’s nothing!

Watch:

@aguyandagolden My dog learned how to play the piano! #dog #goldenretriever #dogsoftiktok ♬ original sound - AGuyandAGolden

That wide shot at the end is particularly cool. It really does look like Teddy has turned into Beethoven. The composer, not the movie dog.

Needless to say, people were blown away by Teddy’s talent.

“Johan Sebastian Bark,” one person commented.

Another wrote, “Wow Teddy is a fast learner. When is he going on tour?”

Another just commended Teddy’s acting chops, saying he “should have his own movie.” We are past due for another movie series starring a gifted dog.

Of course, Teddy might be too busy to film, as he’s already taken on other jobs, including electrician, caped crime fighter and “dogtor.” On the bright side, Lower told Fox that they still have plenty of skit ideas to bring to life.

“I have a notebook at home with about 500 to 600 video ideas,” he said. "A lot of them are ambitious and they might take a little bit of time to come to fruition but we think of a lot of short hitting ones and easy ones that we can do now and we knock those out.”

To not miss any of those videos, be sure to follow Lower and Teddy on TikTok.


This article originally appeared last year.

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Neighbors surprise their dogs by building tiny door in fence so their dogs could have playdates

The two pups were desperate to play together, now they're living their best lives.

Screenshot permissions via fritz_the_emotional_dog

Neighbors surprise dogs by building tiny door in fence

With as social as dogs are it's not surprising that they can form close bonds with other pets, even if those pets don't live in their home. A dog can have a best bud at doggy daycare, a local dog park or in their own backyard, well...sort of. Dogs that share a fence because their humans live next door to each other can become fast friends. It's the dog they see every day, they know their smell, their bark and may even sneak toys under the fence to share.

The four-legged fur balls are creative when it comes to finding ways to play with other dogs that they can't physically reach. But eventually the lack of physical connection gets a little frustrating and since dogs don't have thumbs or access to tools, they rely on their humans to set up playdates. This is what happened when two neighbors realized their dogs were the very best of friends and would not stop trying to bust out of their shared wooden fence for some playtime.

The neighbors shared their dogs' shenanigans on their respective social media pages showing how their dogs were desperate to be playmates. One of the dogs can be seen dramatically lays on the ground with half of its head and a singular paw pushed under the fence to look at his friend in the most pitiful way possible.

Dog Show GIF by Westminster Kennel ClubGiphy

The humans behind the accounts fritz_the_emotional_dog and fun_with_grump shared their adorable surprise for their clearly deprived dogs (insert heavy sarcasm) with Upworthy. In the video complete with Celine Dion singing "All by Myself" in the background, you see the dogs continuously trying to get to each other.

Shortly after a few clips showing the canine friends' antics, the video cuts to a small door built into the shared wooden fence. When one of the owners opens the new door, the dogs explode with excitement at the realization that they can finally get to each other.

The duo follow each other through the door running and playing from yard to yard while their owners speak in high pitched squeals as they watch the dogs play. People cannot get enough of the sweet gesture the owners did for the two pups.


One person writes, "This is by far the nicest thing I’ve ever seen . Total love absolutely big love. These neighbours are brilliant to do this for their dogs … well done!!!"

Another says, "This is just the most beautiful thing you guys did for those 2. love it."

"Omg this is just wonderful....how happy they both are xx," a commenter shares.

vriendjes joho GIF by JongehondenGiphy

"My neighbor did this for our dog. I would sometimes come home from work. I would hear my dog barking as I was unlocking the front door but it would be silent in my house. Then I would realize the neighbors had opened the fence hatch (that they made) and my dog was barking from next doors living room window," someone else recounts.

The two dogs still continue their playdates via the tiny door in the fence and you can follow along with them on their owners' TikTok pages, fritz_the_emotional_dog and fun_with_grump.

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Doggo loses his mind with joy when he finds out he's going to visit Grandma and Grandpa

Sound up for this one because Nosh REALLY loves his grandparents.

@sky.q/TikTok

Nosh freaked when he found out they were going to see Safta and Boppa.

Eagerly anticipating a trip to the fun and doting grandparents' house is something we think of children doing, but one couple's doggo proves that visiting the "grandpawrents" is just as exciting.

In a TikTok video that's been viewed nearly 30 million times, dog owners Skylar and Deko are nearing the end of a 20-hour drive from Phoenix to Kansas City, Missouri. Their good doggo named Nosh, sits in the backseat, looking out the front window.

Suddenly, Skylar asks Nosh if he wants to go visit Safta and Boppa, the nicknames of his grandparents, and he immediately reacts. You can practically hear him say, "Whut? Grandma and Grandpa? Are you serious?!? OMG, I'm so excited I can hardly stand it!!! When are we gonna get there?!?" only it comes out as a series of squeals and whimpers and sneezy woofs of joy.

Seriously, what did Safta and Boppa do to earn this kind of reaction to their names being spoken?

Watch:

@sky.q

The other video got a “sensitive content warning” because of the end… but why?? 😂 #repost #dogsofttiktok #dogs #australiancattledog #blueheeler #acd #heeler #cattledog

That flop for the belly rub immediately upon seeing Grandpa? And the "I'm so excited to see you I gotta pee" moment? Too much.

"He always reacts like this to his grandparents," Skylar told Newsweek, "whether it's been months or only a few hours since he has seen them last."

She said they waited until they were five minutes away to tell him, and he acted like this for the full five minutes until they arrived. It's no wonder they waited until they were almost there to tell Nosh where they were going. Can you imagine making him wait any longer?

Skylar shared another video that demonstrates the love between Nosh and his favorite people.

@sky.q

Anyone else’s dog love grandma and grandpa more than anyone else? 😂❤️ #blueheeler #australiancattledog #acd #dog #heeler #cattledog

In case you're wondering what kind of dog Nosh is, he's an Australian Cattle Dog, also known as a Blue Heeler. (A real-life Bluey, if you will.) You can see even more videos of his excitement over going to the grandparents' house on Skylar's TikTok channel here.


This article originally appeared on 12.16.23

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