Meet the Rice family. They live just outside Jefferson City, Missouri.
Not too long ago, they suffered a devastating loss.
Their family dog, Remington — “Remy,” for short — passed away.
As anyone who’s lost a pet knows, Remy’s departure was very tough for the Rice family. So, hoping it’d put a big smile on her mom’s face, Natalie decided to get another puppy for the family as an early Valentine’s Day gift: Paisley, an adorable blue heeler.
As it turned out, however, Natalie’s mom had a similar idea in mind.
In an adorably candid video, Natalie and her mom surprise each other with their new family dogs.
“Happy early Valentine’s D—” Natalie begins before seeing that her mom also had a dog in her hands. They both stare at each other, thunderstruck.
It’s definitely worth the watch (story continues below).
“Oh my God,” Natalie captioned the hilarious video, noting her dad was “going to kill [her and her mom] …. ‘[W]e’re in so much trouble.’”
Not that much trouble, though. The family decided to keep both Paisley and her new brother, Rocky.
Natalie’s video has since gone viral, amassing a whopping 63,000 retweets and over 220,000 likes. Clearly, the Rice family’s story struck a chord with thousands of people online.
“It’s been so crazy!” she explains, in response to all the love the video’s received. “I don’t know what to feel.”
Though Remy will always hold a very special place in her heart, Natalie noted: “Getting a new animal does not replace another.”
But it looks like Paisley and Rocky will usher in a wonderful new chapter of belly rubs and afternoon naps at the Rice household.
Welcome to the family, guys. ❤️
