A golden retriever puppy’s way of bidding farewell to his canine family before being adopted by a New York-based owner has moved millions of viewers on TikTok.
The heartwarming moment, which was captured by the puppy’s new owner, Catherine, on their “pick up day,” has amassed more than 2.1 million views and 465,000 likes on the platform, where it was shared under the handle @goldenboiriley.
The short clip shows the puppy named Riley hesitating to leave his pack, turning back one last time as the other dogs watch, tails wagging, through a snow-covered fence.
Viewers on TikTok were able to see the young golden retriever walking slowly away from the group, only to pause and look back, his gaze lingering on his former companions. Behind the fence, his littermates and an older dog wag their tails, seemingly aware of the bittersweet goodbye.
An overlaid text on the video read: “POV: [Point of view] Your golden retriever puppy says goodbye to his family before joining yours.”
“Right before I got in the car, I let him run around for a bit, and I was touched to see him go up to the yard where you see several adult dogs,” Riley’s owner, Catherine, 32, told Newsweek. “These are other dogs that belong to our breeder, and they are all related to Riley in some way.
“One is his grandfather, one is his mother, and the two others are half-siblings of his mother, so his half-uncle and half-aunt. It was a really bittersweet moment as I was so excited to have him join my family, but also sad to see him say goodbye to his canine family.”
The post, captioned, “honestly this made me tear up on our pickup day,” had an immediate emotional impact on viewers online, many of whom have left comments expressing how moved they found the final goodbye and pet adoptions in general.
“It breaks my hearts that dogs get separated from their first families,” one viewer said.
Another added: “The thought of them leaving their family makes me sad.”
“Is that the mom standing up? [Because] oh my,” another said.
Another added: “Please tell me they are all your furbabies you’re just making this video.”
“Saddest thing in the world that animals have to give up their family to live with ours,” another commented.
Another added: “They’re all looking at you like, ‘Take good care of our little boy.’”
“The way she turns, it’s like she saying, ‘Come on, why aren’t you coming?’” another said.
Riley’s visible hesitation to leave and the affectionate glances exchanged with his pack have been interpreted by many as a sign of the strong bonds animals form, even at a young age. The video also sparked discussions about the emotional lives of animals and how deeply they might feel and understand separation from their littermates.
One viewer asked: “Do they get sad?”
“There’s definitely an adjustment period where they get used to not being around their littermates anymore but they do eventually settle in,” Catherine responded.
Riley’s new owner lives “not too far” from his breeder, and so can arrange visits for the dogs in the future. She said that she has been floored by the huge online response to the video and has enjoyed reading all the comments.
She added: “Many viewers have also reached out to me to ask how to choose an ethical golden retriever breeder, which is a topic very near and dear to my heart as I absolutely love this breed and want to do whatever I can to make sure we preserve and improve it for the future.”
As Riley embarked on his new life, the video serves as a reminder of the powerful emotions that both humans and animals experience in times of change. Although the golden retriever has long settled into his new home in New York, his tear-jerking farewell is still leaving a trail of dewy-eyed viewers in its wake.
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