After being found alone with his deceased owner, a golden retriever named Rocky spent a whole month in a shelter, waiting for family to come pick him up, but nobody came.
In a viral TikTok video shared in February under the username @grrrescue, the Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies explains that after nobody showed up to get Rocky, it decided to put him up for adoption, and he immediately found a family ready to welcome him into their home.
Francie Rakiec, executive director of the Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies, located in Arvada, Colorado, told Newsweek that Rocky has now been in his forever home for almost two weeks and is doing great.
"He is a very sweet boy who went through a lot with the death of his previous owner. We truly can't imagine the trauma this sweet boy must have endured. Rocky is such a special guy and definitely captured my heart.
"He would always carry his stuffed beaver around with him. I miss him, but am so happy that he found his forever home!!"
VCA Animal Hospitals explains that while dogs may not fully understand the meaning of death, when their owner passes they shown signs that suggest they have been affected by the loss.
Signs that your dog is grieving include loss of appetite; change in sleep patterns; crying; searching; a need for extra attention; and a generally sad demeanor, says animal charity Blue Cross, adding that the best thing you can do to help them is keeping their routine consistent.
Some experts believe that allowing your pup to see the body of their late owner may help them understand that their human companion is gone, and reduce their grief response.
The video went viral on social media and it has so far received over 186,800 views and 20,300 likes on the platform.
One user, Mimi, commented: "And this is why my dog is in my will, if something happens to me, it's so important that my boy goes to a home that I trust without adding any financial burden to my sister and her fam!"
VeronicaD said: "So traumatic for him. Hope his new family loves him tons."
Karenpalmieri05 added: "My daughter has insured me she will take any pet of mine. My friend took her mom's dog after she died and said it always felt like she a piece of her mom."