A viral video showing a Labrador retriever’s transformation before and after getting a puppy sibling has well and truly melted hearts across the internet.
Dog owner Keryn Hanifan, 28, of South Shore, Massachusetts, shared the sweet clip on TikTok (@kerynhanifan) to highlight what an amazing difference a little puppy love can make. Before becoming a big sister, the video shows 18-month-old Betty the black Labrador sitting by herself in the garden and waiting for someone to play fetch with her.
But how times change, because the video goes on to show just how happy Betty has become now that she has a four-legged sibling. The canines seemed to hit it off instantly, as Hanifan told Newsweek that it is like Betty “had been waiting for someone” to share her toys and love with.
“Betty is very high-energy and ball-obsessed. We could play ball for hours, and she’d still stay in the yard alone wanting more,” Hanifan said.
She continued: “It would take us hours to tire her out before, but now she finally has someone to match her energy. From Day One, she shared all her toys and balls, and she finally can rest, too.”
In the clip, Betty can be seen chasing the golden retriever puppy, named Mitzi, around the yard, letting the young dog chase her, and the pups even lay with each other in the sunshine.
Needless to say, social-media users can’t get enough of seeing how much joy the puppy has brought to Betty’s life. The video has gone viral in the days since it was shared on TikTok, generating more than 5.4 million views and over 1.3 million likes at the time of writing.
Mitzi was one of 26 dogs and puppies who were rescued from a backyard breeder. The animals were said to have been kept in “deplorable conditions” and were taken to Second Chances Animal Services Adoption Center as a result. Thankfully, Mitzi didn’t have to wait too long before finding a loving home, as she was rescued by Hanifan on October 10 when she was around 10 weeks old.
It seems that Betty’s transformation hasn’t just delighted Hanifan, because the viral video has also left many social-media users crying happy tears. Hanifan told Newsweek that she has received an outpouring of love and “emotional comments” from people across the internet.
Many TikTok users have praised the adorable friendship that the dogs have developed so quickly, leading to more than 3,100 responses on the video so far.
One comment reads: “So happy for both of them.”
Another TikTok user wrote: “them chasing each other around the bush actually made me cry.”
A third person replied: “she knew a friend was coming, she just had to wait patiently.”
One commenter added: “I’m sure Betty had a very happy life before she got her puppy, but my god look at her shine now.”
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