This Pit Bull was seen as ‘just a dog’ — until her heartbreaking gesture at her owner’s funeral silenced everyone

Trigger warning: This story includes mentions of death.

Dogs are known for their loyalty toward their owners, but may be dismissed as mere pets in times of crisis. A TikTok creator who goes by @crashoutsandi shared a heart-wrenching glimpse of reality when her sister passed away, while her pet dog struggled to comprehend the situation. The creator insinuated how some people may have disregarded the pup as “just a dog” until they saw his reaction to his owner’s funeral. The dog’s heartbreaking reaction moments after losing his owner turned into a viral tear-jerker on the internet, amassing 8.7 million views and notes of support and prayers from emotional viewers. 

The TikTok user, who was a sibling of the dog’s owner, shared a sweet clip of her sister and the pet snuggling happily in their home. The snippet then cuts to a heartbreaking scene from the owner’s funeral. The Pit Bull was standing near the dug-up grave and whimpered in pain as everyone around cried. His owner was being laid to rest, and the dog’s intense behavior hinted at his grief. He whimpered, cried, and sniffed the mud, trying to understand why his owner was being buried. The pet dog was visibly agitated as the owner’s mother wept alongside him. “‘It’s just a dog.’ But this was my sister’s dog at her funeral,” the overlay text read while the caption acknowledged the pet’s loyalty to his late owner. 

The post was liked by 1.9 million people, and the comments were flooded with heartfelt and empathetic notes of love and support. “Dogs grieving will never fail to break me,” expressed @cooooooonnormcfoxx. “I just know he could smell her scent and wondered why they were putting her in the ground,” noted @_ploenn. Someone (@v.torresss17) shared a similar experience. “My grandma’s dog didn’t survive this. He died within a year. He’d cry for her, cry at her door, scratching it. Cry all night, walking around, even when other family members tried to comfort him,” the comment read. “Oh man, he lost his best friend,” penned @_kassanddraag.

The dog owner, reportedly 21 years old, had lost her life in a car accident. The TikTok page was mostly dedicated to the late person and her time with her sibling, with videos suggesting the tragedy of her passing. The TikTok user mentioned in a different post that her sister passed away in a speeding incident, with images of the crashed car she was driving. In yet another post, the sibling revealed that her grieving pet dog has not been the same since her passing. “In another life, you made it back home to him. He hasn’t been the same dog since he watched us lay you to rest,” the overtext shared. The family has been grieving the loss since the accident. 

According to VCA Animal Hospitals, dogs also go through the process of mourning after losing a dear one. Some of the signs include depression, decreased appetite, and lack of interest in playing. They may sleep more or less and move more slowly than usual. 

You can follow @crashoutsandi on TikTok for more updates.