Heartbreak at Dog's Reaction to Owner Returning From Vet Without Brother

A social media video that captures a dog's devastation after spotting his owner coming home from the vet without his older brother is breaking hearts online.

The viral video, which has been viewed more than 10.7 million times since it was first shared to TikTok on January 31, filmed the 11-year-old pug's sad expression and heartbreak after realizing that his 15-year-old brother didn't make it back home.

"Watching my 11-year-old dog seeing us come back from the vets without his 15-year-old brother, for him to spend his first ever night alone," the dog's owner, Hannah, said.

The post had been captioned: "Life is so unfair. I wish my dogs didn't have to leave me."

Hannah, 19, who goes by @hannahgrattonn on the platform, is a student midwife based in the U.K. She has over 7,000 followers on TikTok.

How Can You Support a Grieving Dog?

Lorna Winter, an expert in dog behavior, told Newsweek that there are ways in which owners can support grieving dogs. She advises owners to prioritize spending quality time with their pets when they are in crisis.

"Touching and cuddling releases oxytocin in a dog, especially when it's with someone that they know and are bonded with. It feels nice for us too, so snuggle up," said Winter, a director of the U.K. Dog Behaviour Training Charter and co-founder of Zigzag.

Winter advises people keen to help grieving dogs to set some time aside within their day to connect with the mourning canine, and to make sure they're having their emotional and physical needs met.

"It will be a tough time for them, so spend time with the dog, meet their needs and pamper them! That might be just petting your dog or laying together on the couch and watching television," she added.

What Do the Comments Say?

Since being shared to the social media platform on January 31 by @hannahgrattonn, the TikTok post has been liked by over 1.9 million users and commented on more than 7,800 times. Plenty of TikTokers have offered the creator their condolences in the comments section of the post.

"Now I'm crying that poor baby. Sorry for your loss also," one user wrote.

Another TikTok user added: "Dog grieving another dog."

"I had to let my dog smell her brother's dead body so she could know he was passed, I didn't want her to not know what happened to him," a third user shared.

"Heard that when this is gonna happen, you bring your other dog with you, so they know what's going on like they can smell or tell what's happening," a different user wrote.

Another user commented: "I wish we could explain to them why they're no longer around."

"My 16-year-old dog howled for months after we had to put his 15-year-old brother down. It was heartbreaking," a different TikToker shared.

Newsweek reached out to @hannahgrattonn for more information via email.

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.