After losing his owner in a fatal crash, a distraught Shih Tzu ran into a pub — and he never left

A dog was left wandering the streets after being involved in a car accident, where he lost his former owner. Rex, a Shih Tzu, was without a home, but the paw-niverse had other plans for him. Following the tragic incident, the pup somehow found solace in a new home right across the street, in the arms of a pub manager. Busy working on a soccer night, Morris, the manager of The Leaping Wolf in England, was informed about a dog running around in his pub. The dog had scrambled into the pub right after the accident but never left the establishment ever again, as reported by PEOPLE. 

Morris opened up about the endearing moment when he first met Rex and instantly knew he had to protect the dog. "Everyone said there was a dog running around, and we had no idea where he came from," he told SWNS, per the source. He was busy managing a packed house of soccer fans watching a match and barely noticed Rex inside. However, upon being updated about the dog’s antics, Morris was forced to look into the matter. He eventually found the pup on the floor and looked for his owner. Concerned about Rex's health, Morris took him to a local vet to find out about his owners. 

While there, the pub manager found out that his former owner had passed away in a car accident, leaving him all alone. "I took him to the vets, who said they could not tell me too much because of data protection, but that the owner was now deceased. So we decided to adopt him,” Morris recalled. It turned into a fresh new start for Rex as he embraced his new, very public life with an open heart and lots of belly rubs. The pooch became a popular attraction at the pub, with regulars often bringing in treats for him. "He has been great. All the customers love him,” Morris said. Rex insists on offering a special service for the manager. The dog, using his instincts, flags troublemakers with great precision.

Although Rex quickly settled into his new home, not all pets adjust so easily. Many experience intense sorrow when their owners are gone. An Instagram video highlights the grief pets carry in their hearts when they lose their beloved owners. In the first 72 hours after an owner’s death, dogs instinctively search for them, follow familiar paths around the home, and stay close to items carrying their scent. They may refuse food, whimper in distinctive ways, and even provide comfort to those who are mourning. These behaviors reveal the remarkable emotional awareness of dogs, showing that their bonds with humans extend far beyond companionship and that they truly feel the absence of those they love and cherish.