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A guide-dog foster carer has melted hearts on social media after paying an emotional tribute to his graduated pups, in a clip that has quickly gone viral on social media.
In the post, shared on TikTok last Thursday, under the username @eugenelynch83, the proud foster parent reacts to pictures of his last pup's graduation. He had just received them via post after helping the dog, Rani, complete her training.
The poster, Eugene Lynch, from the U.K., told Newsweek that he and his partner Tim volunteer as fosterers with the charity Guide Dogs. They host the training pups from when they are about 1 year old after they have been raised by Puppy Raisers, also volunteers.
Lynch said: "We give the dog a home with us while they complete their guide-dog training. The dogs are already very well trained at that point and know a lot of commands. They even go to the toilet on command!
"Every weekday, we take them to and from the Guide Dogs office in central London, which, for us, involves getting on the Underground with them," Lynch added. "We spend all weekend with them, taking them for walks in the park and keeping them active. Once they finish their training, they are matched with their new owner, who is a person with sight-loss, which is when we have to say goodbye."
Lynch says in the viral video: "Every time we foster a dog, Guide Dogs sends us a graduation photo, and ours just arrived for Rani! The team actually sent us several photos. The first one is Rani sitting next to some statues at Spitalfields market [in east London].
"The next one is her practicing a chin rest on a bench. That's how she shows people where [the] seats are. And this one is her next to a big statue of an elephant, and it comes with a lovely thank-you note. We're going to miss you, Rani!" Lynch added.
"I was sobbing when I got this," he said, adding that he is going to add Rani's graduation photo to his little hall of fame, where all the other pictures of their previously graduated pups are.
Guide dogs, also known as seeing-eye dogs, have been making a difference for people in need for decades, and there are now thought to be over 10,000 guide-dog teams across the U.S.
Lynch and his partner have fostered many dogs prior to Rani, including a yellow Labrador-golden retriever cross called Buckby, which was their first dog back in 2019; a German shepherd called Ufton; a yellow Labrador-golden retriever cross called Gemma, whom they fostered during the COVID-19 pandemic; and another yellow Labrador-golden retriever cross called Ronals, which the couple hosted last Christmas.
Lynch said: "Rani was our most-recent dog, a black Labrador. She was quite small and full of energy. We had her for over six months in total.
"She is very independent-minded and could be a bit cheeky, but she responded well to the training and is really great at her job. She has been recently matched with her new owner and left our home about two weeks ago. She and her new owner are training together now," he added.
"We really love each and every dog we foster, and it is always hard and heartbreaking to say goodbye. But we are proud that we are able to contribute to their training and development and to give them a home for a few months. It's great to see them out in the world, thriving in their job, and it gives us a sense of gratitude for being able to help," Lynch said.
@eugenelynch83 Replying to @Orthodox Daily @Eugene Today we got Rani’s graduation photo in the post! I was sobbing! ? How cute is this? Video shows me opening the mail to discover a blue cardboard framed photo of Rani along with some other photos and a thank you note from the trainers. I add it to a collection of other graduation photos from dogs we’ve fostered with @GuideDogsUK #guidedog #labrador #dogs #goodbye #volunteer
♬ original sound - Eugene
The video quickly went viral on social media, getting viewers from across TikTok. It has so far received over 48,000 views and almost 5,000 likes on the platform.
One user, phillyd, commented: "Why did I think she was going to be in a cap and gown."
Kacee XOXO posted: "The happiness of knowing what a difference they will make to someone's life must soften the sadness of seeing them leave."
Boomer1475 added: "What you do is amazing, there's a lady locally that does the same love seeing her with new dogs hoping the old ones have graduated."
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About the writer
Maria Azzurra Volpe is a Newsweek Life & Trends reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is reporting on everyday ... Read more