10
Loading video...
By Liz O'Connell
Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
A woman's heart "skipped a beat" when she returned home after a year away, due to the devastating reaction she originally received from her dog.
TikTok user @queenybanez1 and her family met their dog, Aslan, in 2016. Given that they've spent nearly 10 years together, she believed the dog would be thrilled to see her again after being away for a year.
However, as she shared in her July 8 video, Aslan didn't recognize her. She excitedly walked up to him, reaching out her hands. But instead of recognizing her right away, which she told Newsweek had happened when she visited previously, Aslan hesitantly backed away from her.
Read More on Pets
You could see the dog processing who she was in his eyes. Then, the memories came rushing back at once. His tail started wagging rapidly. He cried with excitement, willing his body back and forth.
...
The woman said she could tell why he did not remember her at first during this visit, after looking into his eyes. She knew he was "feeling down," likely due to his witnessing her parents arguing when they still lived together.
"I wrote on that vid, on the bottom part, saying that he sounds like he's telling me, 'Where have you been? The house is so lonely now because Mama left due to their arguments with Papa,'" she said.
Although the woman comes home to visit, it's not as often as she would like. While for dogs, one year can feel like a lifetime, Aslan is luckily not alone. She said he's living with her dad and has other dogs and cats to keep him company.
Viewer Reactions
As of Friday, the TikTok video reached over 1.7 million views, 326,200 likes and 1,330 comments.
"The pain after one year. More like seven years to them," one TikTok user commented.
A second user wrote: "Dogs can recognize how long you're gone by your scent disappearing little by little. Ashi must've thought you're gone and never coming back."
"The way he started crying in joy when he recognized you," another commenter said.
One commenter pointed out that Aslan's initial lack of recognition could be due to not being able to see her clearly: "he probably has poor eyesight but since he smelled you he recognized you right away."
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.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines