A woman who was devastated after the passing of her beloved dog of 18 years and her ex keeping their pooch after a breakup fell to the floor in shock when her mom surprised with a new puppy.
For Stefanie Salyers, 27, from Austin, Texas, but now based in New York, the passing of her beloved Shih Tzu, Princess, around three years ago was extremely tough.
Princess was Stefanie’s first dog, whom she adopted and cared for until she passed away at 18 in Stefanie’s arms.
She found animal companionship in her boyfriend at the time’s dog, filling a void left by Princess before a breakup saw him keep the pooch.
Knowing how difficult these big life events had been for her daughter, Stefanie’s mom, Inga, started working on a surprise she thought would boost her spirits.
With Stefanie based across the country, Inga worked on adopting another Shih Tzu from a rescue program to surprise her daughter when she returned home.
That moment took place with Stefanie completely unaware as she entered her mom’s Austin home.
As she approached the corner and saw the Shih Tzu staring back at her, she immediately dropped to her knees and began welling up.
She then headed over to the dog, Pedro, for a much-needed hug, which Inga captured on video.
Stefanie said: “When we parked the car, mom ran into the house claiming she urgently needed to use the restroom.
“I started bringing bags inside myself, which you see me carrying when I turn the corner at the start of the video.
“Before I turned the corner and met Pedro, I was feeling pretty pathetic – I had been dumped, and I hadn’t been eating.
“I couldn’t stop thinking about the breakup, about his dog, who I loved and would never see again.
“I was carrying plastic bags of my stuff that my ex left outside his house; I felt lonely.
“When I saw Pedro at first, I thought I was seeing the ghost of Princess and that I had died of a broken heart right there in the living room.
“Getting to touch him and see he was real broke my heart in the best way – I now wouldn’t be alone, and I would be loved.
“I could pour all of this love I had that was rejected into someone who deserved it, and no one deserves it more than Pedro.”
