Woman Gives Lonely Dad, 86, Her Pomeranian And Now They're 'Inseparable'

One woman made the difficult decision to give her dog to her dad, who was becoming lonely and needed a four-legged friend for company. However, there is no doubt that was the right decision, with internet users now loving the friendship between the duo.

In a video posted on the TikTok account @_dadanddolly, the loving bond between man and dog is clear for all to see. Dolly and her owner, John are seen sharing everything they do, with the video saying they have "become inseparable."

The video was posted by John's daughter Katie, who gave her dad the dog two years ago. In the viral video, Katie shared how the pair enjoy watching old movies, dining out, having takeout, and, of course, the day wouldn't be complete without napping together.

Since giving Dolly to her dad, Katie believes that she "lights up his life," as the duo are rarely apart. The American Kennel Club previously described Pomeranians as "the ideal companion" as they love providing accompaniment.

Pomeranians are more than happy to learn new tricks and be a watchdog for their owners. However, they enjoy nothing more than providing enjoyment for and relishing in being part of a family.

After Katie, from London, shared the adorable video of her dad and Dolly, she has been left shocked by the overwhelming reaction they received. Since the video was posted on March 10, it has received over 290,000 views already and more than 46,000 likes.

Newsweek reached out to Katie about the decision to give the dog to her father, and how much Dolly has helped her elderly parent.

"I got Dolly in December 2019, but when my dad moved into the apartment next door to mine in June 2021, I gave her to him to look after," she told Newsweek.

"I was worried about him being lonely when I was working or out, and I wanted him to have company. He had previously lived with his partner of many years, but she had to return to her home country to be near her children due to illness and the pandemic.

"I knew he missed his partner, and moving to a new place was challenging for him. So I thought Dolly would just take some of the stress and sadness away."

Katie thought Dolly would help her dad, but she could have never expected this level of connection to develop between them.

Due to John's mild cognitive impairment, they spend a lot of time in the house, with the exception of daily dog walks. All this time spent together has built an unbreakable bond, as Katie jokes that they "share a lot of things in common," including eating things they shouldn't and spontaneous naps.

Katie continued: "Having Dolly has helped enormously. It means I feel more relaxed that he's okay and not lonely when I'm not there. I think looking after Dolly also gives him a sense of purpose, which is important for anyone.

"My dad is a very strong person mentally, but the last few years have been hard on him. Many of his close friends and siblings have died or moved away in recent years, so Dolly helps to fill that gap and enriches his life."

Not only does Katie hope to raise awareness of loneliness in the elderly, she wants to show the importance of companionship and cherishing time with older relatives. She added that sharing the videos of her dad with Dolly has helped shape an incredible community from around the world.

There are hundreds of loving comments on the trending video, as one person wrote: "They are so lucky to have each other. She hit the jackpot to have your dad to love."

Another person said it is "a beautiful bond between 2 beautiful souls" in a comment.

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.