Moving house can sometimes involve painful goodbyes with beloved neighbors. But it’s not just people who leave a significant mark, and one young girl’s emotional farewell with her neighbor’s dog has left the internet in tears.
For many years, mom-of-two Emylie Keehner, 29, watched her children form an adorable connection with the dog next door, who they nicknamed Breadrick. The sweet dog would sit in the same spot by the fence every day, and Keehner’s daughter, six, and her son, five, would always go and see him.
Keehner, of Eastern Washington, told Newsweek that her children “loved him to pieces,” and they went outside to pet him every day. In fact, her son was afraid of dogs at first, but Breadrick helped him overcome that and learn to love dogs.
“The owner was very friendly and said we could come give him pets and play with him any time,” Keehner said. “The next day, the dog was out sitting in the same spot, so the kids ran out to say hi again. Every time we saw him by the fence (virtually every day, staring at our back door) the kids would run out and give him some pets.”
Emylie Keehner’s daughter saying goodbye to the neighbor’s dog, nicknamed Breadrick.
Emylie Keehner / Reddit
They aren’t certain of the dog’s breed, but they believe he might be a Leonberger. It’s a large breed that can grow up to 31 inches tall and weigh up to 170 pounds, but they’re known for their gentle nature and patience.
However, the family recently moved house and Keehner’s daughter had to say an emotional goodbye to her four-legged best friend. On their last night in the house, she went outside and spent more than 10 minutes petting and talking to him.
As she was tearing up, Keehner watched on from the porch, so her daughter had all the space and time she needed during that moment.
“She was sad, she teared up while talking to him, but she is a very tough cookie. They both loved going out there and giving him love, and it made my heart so happy to see,” Keehner told Newsweek. “I cry at everything, so of course I was crying. She is such a sweet girl, and she handled everything with such a brave face and such a big heart. I was and still am very moved, and proud.”
While Keehner didn’t speak to the dog’s owner all that much, she has since sent a letter to the house to see if the kids could have a playdate with Breadrick in the future.
After such a heartfelt goodbye, Keehner posted two pictures of her daughter’s “long goodbye with [her] favorite neighbor” on Reddit (posting as u/informaldejekyll). Since it was shared on March 22, it has gone viral with over 42,000 views and 640 comments at the time of writing.
Keehner never could have imagined it would attract so much attention, and she’s been blown away by the loving response from internet users.
“I never expected it to get so much attention, but I’ve loved all the stories being shared about childhood memories of animals, and just how remarkable a pet’s imprint is on a person. I feel bad for making hundreds of people cry though, but at least I wasn’t alone,” she said.
With hundreds of comments on the Reddit post, people couldn’t get enough of the precious bond between the children and the neighbor’s dog.
One comment reads: “He looks like he’s trying so hard to understand.”
Another Reddit user wrote: “I’m tearing up and I don’t know you or the dog. Please say your daughter and can come by and give this good boy some love? I need pure stories like this in my life.”
Another commenter added: “My heart is breaking for this dog and your kids!”
While one person replied: “He looks like an angel. I’m sure he understood her. Animals know more than we give them credit for.”
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