Women Smuggle Dog Into Hospital to Surprise Patient With 'Puppy Cuddles'

Being a patient stuck in hospital is nobody's idea of fun, so these two women found a way to cheer up an old family friend with an unexpected visitor.

Chiggi, the three-month-old maltipoo, had a big role to play when her owner, Matilda, took her for a day trip to the local hospital. Matilda, from Sydney, Australia, who doesn't wish to disclose her full name, told Newsweek that she wanted to visit a woman who "was like [her] grandma" while she's in a nearby hospital.

Going empty handed wouldn't suffice, so Matilda and a friend smuggled Chiggi inside her bag as they walked through the hospital.

"She was so excited when we pulled Chiggi out of the bag," she said.

"The nurses didn't see, but we closed the curtain as soon as we got there. We were there for about an hour, and I am sure they knew what we were up to, but they didn't come in and they let us have the hour of puppy cuddles."

Following the adorable hospital visit, Matilda shared a video on her TikTok account (@tiljune) on July 15, showing how she brought "some serotonin to the ward." In the days since, the video has already amassed more than 1.4 million views, and over 164,000 likes.

There's little doubt that pets play a pivotal role in their owner's lives, and they can certainly provide a great deal of comfort when it's needed. A YouGov poll in 2022 revealed that, not only do nine in 10 people consider their pet to be part of the family, but 51 percent would call themselves their pet's parent.

When the participants were asked about the love and support they feel from their pet, 42 percent of owners said they seek comfort from their pet very often, and 35 percent said they do so somewhat regularly. Interestingly, women are more likely than men to get comfort from their four-legged friend, as 80 percent of female pet owners are comforted by the presence of their pet.

People will also feel a noticeable difference in their mood when their pet isn't around, and 40 percent of respondents admitted that they feel anxiety when they're away from them.

Fortunately for Matilda, Chiggi quite enjoys being carried inside the handbag, so being smuggled into the hospital was no problem for her.

Matilda continued: "She is only a baby, and she likes going in the handbag. She usually likes to stick her head out of the top, so we put my jacket over so her head was out, but no one could see.

"As we were leaving, the patient in the bed opposite saw her through the gap in the curtain and smiled but didn't say anything."

Many social media users loved the video of the "contraband smugglers," and it's already received over 1,300 comments in just a matter of days. Many medical workers have also showed their approval of taking a pet to cheer up a patient, despite it being against the rules.

One person commented: "As a doctor, I absolutely approve 100% (cats too btw)."

Another person wrote: "I'm a nurse and I have been the contraband smuggler before several times."

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.