Pet grief is real.
A TikTok video by Kate Schakols has been seen over 100 million times because it is a touching example of empathy and human kindness. It also shows that a dog who’s lived a life of hardship can find joy and peace when given a loving home.
Schakols and her family fell in love with Rooster, a dog that was estimated to be between 10 to 12 years old, at the Gulf Coast STARS rescue in 2020 and adopted him. Rooster was blind in one eye, had benign lumps and most of his elbow pads and teeth were worn down from digging in concrete for food. "The bond I had with Rooster was unreal," she told People. "I'd never felt that specific type of connection before, and it was obvious to everyone that he had chosen me to be his person."
Sadly, after 28 days, Rooster developed dog bloat and had to be humanely euthanized. Even though their time together was far too short, Schakols was happy to have comforted Rooster in his final days.
"I think I love my mom the most."www.tiktok.com
She told their brief but touching story in a slideshow video (below) from Rooster’s perspective. Rooster is seen rolling in the grass, playing with new siblings, enjoying a car ride, while heartbreakingly sweet messages about "mom" appear onscreen.
"I think I love my mom the most. I hope she knows. She’s love me more than anyone ever has," one reads.
Another says, “She doesn't seem to care that I can’t see very well, that I have missing fur and teeth, and I’m old and lumpy,…She says I’m beautiful every day.”
Then on Rooster's final day, we read “I think it’s time to go. I hope my mom will be okay. I can hear her crying and begging someone named God not to take me.”
“I think it’s time to go. I hope my mom will be okay."www.tiktok.com
By telling the story from Rooster’s point of view, Schakols shows the incredible empathy and understanding she shared with the dog. It also gives people who may not be considering adopting a senior dog, an idea of what it means for an older dog to live in comfort in their final days.
"There’s so many stories of dogs being adopted but passing soon after and I think they finally felt peace and comfort and safe to let themselves go," one person wrote in the comments. "It’s like he held on until he could feel love and joy. When he did he was finally at peace and able to cross the rainbow bridge," another added.
Losing a pet can evoke profound grief, often comparable to the loss of a family member, and it's important to acknowledge and process these emotions. and that's exactly what Schakols continues to advocate for on social media.
“All I ever want from my page is to encourage people to understand that pet loss is valid and a very real type of disenfranchised grief."
A powerful way to process some of these tough emotions, as Schakols has demonstrated, is to memorialize your fur baby in some way. Be that through a video, making a donation in their name, creating a photo collage. It can be as extensive or minimal as you see fit.
That way a piece of them stays with you forever. Photo credit: Canva
It doesn't take away the pain, per se, but it does make it easier to move through.
This article originally appeared last year
Dog Show GIF by Westminster Kennel Club
vriendjes joho GIF by Jongehonden