Animal lovers have shown major love to a senior dog who recently celebrated a major milestone: turning 17.
Bella is a chocolate Labrador retriever and the adored pet of Tara, who posts to TikTok under the username @taratessone.
A vital part of the family, Bella appears several times on Tara’s account—but her most recent video has proved massively popular, as millions of strangers flocked to wish Bella a happy 17th birthday.
In the clip, posted on February 23, the elderly dog sits patiently by a special birthday cake made just for her, licking her lips and looking up at her owner as though waiting to be told it’s okay to dig in.
And, as children and adults off-camera sing happy birthday to her, Bella finally gets the go-ahead—and dives into the cake, which is decorated with icing, hearts, tiny dog treats, and the words: “Happy birthday Bella. 17th.”
Wearing a special birthday outfit—a white hair band with a bow—Bella tucks in, taking a large bite before standing up and wagging her tail with excitement.
She then looks at her family, who continue to serenade her with birthday wishes.
Tara wrote in the caption: “What an absolute dream Bella gets to see 17. Happy birthday my Bells.”
TikTok users were in awe, watching the video close to 4 million times, and awarding it more than 1 million likes—and many comments fit the same theme.
“17?!! what do yall feed her,” one wrote, another saying: “I’m crying. I wish my dog lived this long, what a gift!”
“I need you to write down a step-by-step of everything she’s eaten, amount of walks, [number] of belly rubs daily, and every supplement she has had over the last 17 years,” another pleaded, while one shared a photograph of their dog and wrote: “Please tell me how he can live til 17. What did u do?”
One user, who identified themselves as a vet tech, said: “I’m so happy to see a girl her age so happy and full of life still. We don’t usually see babies live so long unless their life was full of love, so you’re doing right by her.”
And as one user summed it up: “People with old dogs are the luckiest people on the planet.”
According to the American Kennel Club (AKC), Labrador retrievers like Bella generally live to between 11 and 13 years old on average—but retain their puppy-like zest for life long into adulthood.
While there is no sure-fire way to get your dog to reach the oldest possible age, there are ways to help keep your dog healthy.
A report from the AKC advises to maintain a dog’s healthy weight using a balance of diet and exercise, to ensure the pet is up-to-date on vaccinations, to check the dog for ticks, fleas and lice, and keep an eye on their nose, eyes, ears and mouth, all of which can indicate a health problem if there are any changes.
Owners should take their dogs to the vet if their dog shows any unusual behavior, including being off their food, coughing or sneezing, panting for longer than usual, a high temperature, increased restlessness, and unusual weight loss.
Pet owners can check their dog’s temperature if they’re concerned by using an at-home pet thermometer, available to purchase online here.
Newsweek has contacted @taratessone for comment on this story.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to [email protected] with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.