Less than an hour before this senior dog passed away, his owner captured a seemingly ordinary video of him walking—looking back now, that was the moment she knew he was ready to go.
Throughout 12 wonderful years with her family dog Teddy, Samantha Silver took countless photos and videos of the pup, who was a Pekingese and poodle mix. But one of the final videos she took was just 55 minutes before he died, and now she can’t help but think that was the moment she knew it was time.
When she started the recording, Silver, of Bergen County, New Jersey, told Newsweek that she “didn’t know that would be the last video” she ever took of Teddy.
Teddy was diagnosed with kidney failure on February 17, and he didn’t have much time left. The family were devastated, as they thought it was just a stomach-ache, but it turned out to be “a ticking clock.”
He bravely held on for six weeks, but towards the end, his back legs started to give out and he could hardly walk. On his last day, Silver, 23, took a simple video of him managing to take a few steps independently as she thought it was a positive sign.
Teddy, the 12-year-old Pekingese and poodle mix, struggling to walk on his last day earthside.
@samiisilverr22 / TikTok
Silver said: “The thing with kidney disease in dogs is that everything happens so fast. One day Teddy was fine, and the next he wasn’t. He declined so quickly.
“I was recording the video because he was walking so well on his own, but I didn’t know he was going to fall. When I stopped the video, I scooped him up and gave him a big hug and showed him all the love. When I was going through my camera roll after his passing, I watched that video back and saw the look in his eyes—he was telling me that it was time.”
The family planned to take Teddy to the vets a few days later and to say goodbye, as they didn’t want him to keep suffering.
However, less than an hour after Silver captured the video, Teddy took himself to his “safe space” under her bed where he passed away. Silver believes that he “wanted to cross the rainbow bridge on his own terms” in his loving home.
She had no idea at the time, but as she reflects now, Silver thinks he held on for one sentimental reason.
“He went under the bed all the time to relax and be left alone,” Silver said. “But this time, I just had a weird feeling. Normally when he would go there, his head or legs would be popping out from underneath. But this time, I watched him crawl all the way to the back, hiding himself.”
She continued: “Something in my body was sending me a warning signal that morning because I just held him and cried. I told him I loved him, and I gave him permission to cross the rainbow bridge. The rest of my family gave him permission weeks before, but I was in denial, and I couldn’t let go. I truly believe that Teddy waited for me to give him permission before he went.”
Going somewhere secluded to die is commonplace, as Dr. Aimee Warner, resident veterinarian at Waggel, tells Newsweek that it traces back to their canine ancestors. In the wild, animals would often find a safe place when they were injured, ill, or dying, as Warner suggests that it’s their “need to feel safe and avoid predators.”
“While our dogs have safe spaces with us and receive tender loving care, it’s a natural behavior of theirs that many pet owners have witnessed,” Warner said. “Our dogs are not only loyal, but they also have high human awareness. When they sense that something has changed within their body, they want to spare their humans the trauma of seeing them decline.”
Finding a dark and hidden place can help them feel peaceful in their final moments. Understanding why they do this can help owners respect their pet’s decision, which Warner said can “make the difficult time more manageable.”
Following the loss, Silver shared the video of Teddy taking some of his final steps on TikTok (@samiisilverr22), captioned: “This was the moment I knew.” The heartbreaking clip has gone viral with over 1.8 million views and 138,000 likes at the time of writing.
Silver told Newsweek: “I didn’t expect anyone to see it, especially not over a million people. But the love and support from complete strangers is so heartwarming. It’s so easy for people to see the video and keep scrolling, but these people stopped to comment, and their kindness is so sincere.”
Many social media users offered their condolences and shared their own experiences with pet loss, helping Silver feel less alone. This has led to more than 5,800 comments on the TikTok post already.
One comment reads: “His eyes were telling you thank you for the great life you’ve given me, but I’m ready momma. I’ll always be with you.”
Another TikTok user wrote: “Pet grief is heartbreaking. They fill your lives with sooo much love.”
While another person replied: “Losing a dog is a pain you never get over.”
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? We want to see the best ones! Send them in to life@newsweek.com and they could appear on our site.
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
