Dog refuses to look at mom who abandoned her for a vacation — now she's got to win her back

A viral TikTok video, posted by Charlotte Ward, showed how dogs also suffer from separation anxiety. In the video, it can be seen that Ward's whimsical dog is seated in the passenger seat of the car, crouching away, looking outside the window. She is throwing a tantrum because Ward had left her behind and gone on vacation alone. Her dog, Trixie, is a Sprocker Springer spaniel dog, which is the result of crossbreeding a Cocker Spaniel with an English Springer Spaniel. The video published on June 7th received over 400k views.

Trixie is famous for her moods on TikTok. Ward has posted quite a few videos of her being capricious and a troublemaker, playing with buckets filled with water for cows in their barn. "Trix, you're alright?" asked Ward in a June 8th video, where she is seen running aloof. Visibly saddened by Ward's actions, Trixie was exhibiting classic signs of depression, which is quite common among pets who are left behind. But reports show that it may not be a good idea to take your pets on vacation, as they will not be able to quickly or easily adapt to the new environment.

Taking your pet along on vacation can also be very expensive with extra flight tickets and hotels’ surcharge because not all Airbnb rentals are pet-friendly. Keeping this in mind, Americans have reportedly decreased their travel, rather happily. A study posted on Global Newswire found that 56% of U.S. citizens have said that they have travelled less since they got a pet. Moving further, 21% said that they would happily ditch a close friend to spend some more time with their beloved animal. 17% shared they would comparatively feel less guilty if they had to skip a family birthday because of their pet.

The study was conducted by the pet-sitting platform, TrustedHousesitters. Angela Laws, Community Manager at the organisation, shared, “We’re seeing a clear cultural shift, particularly among younger, child-free adults who consider their pets to be their children. They’re not just companions — they’re family. And that’s showing up in everyday decisions about travel, social life, and emotional well-being.” This rising pet love in America has introduced a new lifestyle called DINKWAP, meaning "Dual Income, No Kids, With a Pet." Leading to the fact that every 1 in 10 Americans feels more guilty when leaving their pet with a sitter than their child. 

As much as people love to spend time with their pets, there are times when they have to leave them alone, like going away for a job or a relaxing holiday. In such a scenario, kennels and family friends play the part of great support. Coming back home from time away may trigger negative emotions in one’s pets. In the case of Trixie, it was her crouching on the seat, looking out of the window, which indicated to Ward that she was mad and would need extra pampering. "When you return from holiday without your dog and this is the reception you get," read the text overlay of the video. 

The video brought in over 25k likes on TikTok and invited mixed opinions from the viewers; some chuckled, and some were offended, while others shared their part of the story. "I love how dramatic dogs are," wrote @oblathmhaic9. A user also found this offensive: "What's funny? This fur-baby appears devastated. Maybe, this fur-baby needs a loving owner?" remarked @simon.kitty.cat. "Poor baby! Hope you made him a nice dinner and took him out to his fav park?" commented @lexistarlight12. "This was my dog when we got back. Wouldn’t cuddle me on the sofa. Just stood there side eyeing me," said @kcookiem. "We have to hide our suitcases until the day we go," @kellyannecamp16 chimed in, wrapping a like-minded discussion on pet grief. 

You can follow Charlotte Ward on TikTok at @charlotteward85 for updates on Trixie's journey.