A video showing a shelter pup’s reaction to being adopted has gone viral on TikTok, sparking a debate about whether dogs know when they’re getting a new family.
The clip shared on Friday by the Walton County Animal Services, under the username @wcasfl, shows a pup hugging and kissing the woman who is taking her home while she signs the adoption papers, as if she knows exactly what is happening.
“You can’t tell us they don’t know when they get adopted… They most certainly do,” says layover text in the clip.
A spokesperson for the Walton County Animal Services, part of the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, Angie Hogeboom, told Newsweek that Veronica, a one-year-old lab mix, was brought in as a stray on November 8th and had since been trying to find a home.
“Our Kennel Tech, Dale Pugh, mentioned that a visitor initially came to see another dog. However, Dale suggested Veronica because of her gentle demeanor. Veronica was attached to the visitor’s leg as soon as they entered the yard.
“She looked at Dale and said she would take her. As you can see in the video, it was love at first sight for them both.”
Adopting dogs can save their lives. Shelters across the country are continuously overwhelmed with newcomers and always out of space. It is estimated that over 17,260 animals enter U.S. shelters every day, or 6.3 million a year.
Of those, around 920,000 are euthanized due to overcrowding. Thanks to an increase in pet adoption this number is slowly beginning to decrease, but the problem is still far from over.
Veronica seems to be fully aware that she is being adopted, even grateful to her new owner for picking her. But can dogs actually tell that they are being adopted?
An article by Pet How, written by Dr. Maria Baker, says that while adopted pups do often form strong with their new families quickly, it’s not really possible to tell if they truly understand the meaning of being adopted or if they just assume the new environment is home.
Many dogs, especially those who had loving homes before, do feel adopted, while others may need some time to learn how to fully appreciate having a permanent home with owners that love them.
It’s good to give all dogs time and space to adapt to their new life after being adopted, but there are things you can do to help them feel at home.
According to Better Pet, getting all their essentials ready, establishing a consistent routine, planning their arrival and most of all being patient with them, will make this process much easier for your pet.
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Hogeboom encourages people to think of the less fortunate dogs for Thanksgiving, those who weren’t as lucky as Veronica and haven’t been able to find a forever home.
“If adopting isn’t an option, fostering, volunteering, or donating is always a tremendous help,” she said.
The video quickly went viral on social media and it has so far received over 736,700 views and 91,400 likes on the platform.
One user, Frills & furbelows, commented: “That dog is making sure she seals the deal.”
Cyn0505_ said: “This made me cry. It’s like he was saying please don’t change your mind.”
Winnie K added: “She saying mommy please hurry up filling out the paperwork so we can go home because I’m so happy.”
Newsweek reached out to @wcasfl for comment. We could not verify the details of the case.
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