Woman captures the emotional moment when her disabled dog dreams it is still running

Watching their beloved fur babies struggle with health issues can be an emotional rollercoaster ride for a pet parent. It often brings a mix of heartbreak, helplessness and an overwhelming desire to provide them with comfort and ease their pain. On a related note, a woman known as @sarahbrice205 on TikTok shared a bittersweet video of her German Shepherd, Coco, joyfully running in its dreams. What made this moment so special? In reality, Coco depends on a wheelchair to move, making the episode both heartwrenching and heartwarming.

"She may not be able to walk now and needs a wheelchair, but in her dreams, she is still running," read the text overlay in the video. The woman shared a glimpse of the adorable Coco moving her legs back and forth while fast asleep. Unfortunately, the German Shepherd has canine degenerative myelopathy, also called DM, reported by Newsweek. Since Coco can't use her rear limbs, the dog relies on a wheelchair to get around, the woman revealed. "Coco may have lost the majority of use of her back legs, but in her dreams, she continues to run," she wrote in the caption. 

Further, in the TikTok video, towards the end, she gently rested her hand on the dog’s back leg, offering her pet a silent reassurance that no matter what, she would always be there for her. Coco's video evidently moved several people on social media. For instance, @0025wd wrote, "In her dreams, she runs through fields of golden corn chasing bunnies and living her best life all over again." Similarly, @sarakelly649 commented, "Aww sweet baby! Puppies have 2 amazing lives where they get to run in different ways."

On the other hand, @hannah, another pet parent, resonated with Coco's video and commented, "My pup did this when he struggled to walk too if only they could channel this part of their brain to walk strong again!" @cakencarrot commented, "Run free every night in your dreams little one." @katherinemurphy8 commented, "Too cute for life."

Meanwhile, the content creator, who regularly shares updates on Coco's life, posted another TikTok video, highlighting Coco's condition, which left the dog unable to move independently. She wrote, "Degenerative myopathy is a nasty thing but we make the best of what we have," referring to the wheelchair that aids their dog in moving around. The woman captured Coco walking excitedly with the help of its specially designed assisted chair; the text overlay read, "When she gets a wheelchair and can walk unassisted."

In the meantime, another heartfelt TikTok video shared by pet owner Dane (@dane_131313), showing his handicapped dog won hearts on the internet. In the video, Dane was seen holding his small pup, Otis, while chasing after the family bulldog, who was carrying a toy in his mouth. Otis, who was handicapped, flailed his little legs in the air, attempting to mimic a running action, while Dane did all the actual sprinting. In the caption, that man wrote, "Our boy Otis is handicapped but still wants to play." To further explain Otis' condition, Dane shared in the comments, "His name is Otis, and he can’t walk, but he still wants to play with his brother. We carry him to eat, go outside to potty and drink water."

You can follow @sarahbrice205 on TikTok for more dog-related content.