'Ungrateful' Senior Dog Refusing to Accept Help Has Internet in Stitches

It looks like one senior dog was struggling to accept he isn't as agile as he used to be when he refused to accept a helping hand.

In a viral TikTok video posted six days ago, under the username @emyzee, 14-year-old Toby is having difficulty getting up the steps. However, he would rather not complete the task than rely on senior sanctuary worker Emily.

Toby can be seen trying to climb the stairs and then barking at Emily when she tries to help him up. Three minutes later, the next video appears to show Toby abandoning his mission. The text layered over the clip reads: "POV [point of view] - you work at a senior pet sanctuary with a bunch of ungrateful old farts that "CaN dO iT bY tHeMsElVeS." The purpose of alternating caps is typically used to display mockery in text messages.

The video captioned, "He has a messed up leg and has trouble getting up the stairs but GOD FORBID I help him," has racked up more than 1.4 million views.

Dr. Anna Foreman, a veterinarian, told Newsweek: "When helping a stubborn dog, be patient and kind. A dog will be stubborn for a reason, and this may be due to pain, or in older dogs due to a lack of vision, hearing or cognition."

A big advantage of adopting an older dog is that you know what you're dealing with, as senior canines have clear established personalities, "which means you know what you're going to get. When you meet an older dog at a rescue centre, you'll be able to determine if their personality type, size and energy levels are the best fit for you and your household," says pet-food manufacturer Purina.

In the comments, Emily said that Toby arrived at the sanctuary with a "messed up" leg. The staff members believe it was broken at some point in his life and never fixed.

Toby resides at the House With a Heart Senior Pet Sanctuary, in Gaithersburg, Maryland. His biography on the website says he "has a frozen rear leg, but that doesn't stop him from jumping on the couch and snuggling in."

It also states that Toby is "very particular with his eating habits" and will only eat on a cutting board. Though old habits die hard, and the staff at the shelter, including Emily, has accepted his quirks, Toby is not under any pressure to change. However, the shelter could do with making some adaptions for its senior residents, according to Foreman.

Foreman, who is based in the U.K. and works for Everypaw Pet Insurance, told Newsweek: "This dog should have access to ramps to climb stairs to allow a gentle incline and easier mobility and should be under veterinary care to address the primary issue."

The hysterical video has been a hit online and now boasts over 258,000 likes, along with many comments.

One comment read: "This is how real seniors are too, so independent lol [laugh out loud]."

One viewer asked: "Is Toby a puppy pretending to be senior for free care? It's too much sass."

"'Don't you dare help me' this is how my senior dog is lmao [laughing my a** off]. He gets so sassy when I help him up the stairs," posted another user.

Some people have compared the dog's attitude to elderly people.

One wrote: "I work with geriatric patients and it's honestly the same lol nicest or most grumpy people ever and I love it!"

"If my grandmother was a dog," joked another user.

Newsweek reached out to @emyzee for comment via TikTok. We could not verify the details of the case.

Update 11/16/23 5:33 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from Dr. Anna Foreman.

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