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A video of a dog excited to greet his 85-year-old "best friend" has gone viral on TikTok, where it garnered over 717,000 views at the time of writing.
The clip was shared by TikTok user Jackie, under the handle @chum.bucket51, who said: "I was recording an iced coffee review and accidentally captured the moment my dog spotted his best friend—our 85 yr old neighbor...[pink heart emoji]," in a message overlaid on the video.
Studies have suggested that dogs can be especially important for the elderly and their health.
An August 2019 study in the International Journal of Community Well-Being said: "Canine companionship is important for people of all ages; for senior people, dogs take on a particular significance.
"Beyond the many positive physical, emotional, and social benefits dogs provide older adults, is the relationship that exists between senior people and their dogs. Seniors, who have deep attachment to their dogs, think of their dogs as cherished family members rather than as animals with benefits."
@chum.bucket51 Their friendship is my favorite. Ps I cried while making this #dogsoftiktok #dog #dogs #petsoftiktok #neighbor #neighbors #bestfriend #bestfriends #love #animals #yellow #xyzbca #wholesome #friendship
♬ Yellow - Coldplay
According to responses from 2,051 pet owners aged 50 to 80 in the April 2019 National Poll on Healthy Aging, conducted by the University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, 79 percent said their pets help reduce stress and 73 percent said the animals give them a sense of purpose.
More than 70 percent of older adults whose health was reported to be fair or poor said their pets help them cope with physical or emotional symptoms, according to the poll.
The dog in the latest video was seen sitting in the backseat of a car, "never breaking eye contact" with his 85-year-old neighbor after spotting her on the street while his owner was attempting to do a coffee review video. The dog is later seen excitedly running towards her, with his tail wagging furiously, before he is shown sitting at her feet.
In a caption shared with the video post, the user said: "Their friendship is my favorite. Ps I cried while making this..."
Kay said: "Such a beautiful photo [floating hearts smiley face and red heart emojis]," in a comment that got over 1,600 likes.
Kadejah Zarate wrote: "He knew her [the neighbor] in another life," in a comment that got over 1,200 likes.
User crosswired noted: "But he was so smart, did jump or knock into her. So sweet," to which the original poster replied: "It's crazy how he knows to be careful! He's also very protective of her and yells at any dogs that get too close to her on our walks together lol [laugh out loud]."
User pocketlint said: "I CRIED THIS IS SO SWEET PEOPLE ARE SO CUTE."
Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment. The latest viral TikTok video has not been independently verified.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
About the writer
Soo Kim is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. She covers various lifestyle stories, specializing in Read more