Being away from your pet is never easy, but thanks to technology, owners can check in via security cameras or set up FaceTime calls with their pet sitters for updates. One dog owner did the latter while at a club during her trip to Nashville, Tennessee.
In a video posted to TikTok earlier this week, user @carlymickeal wrote in the caption: “I have separation anxiety from my dog.” Because she’s constantly missing her golden retriever Jasper whenever she’s away, she always takes it upon herself to check in on him.
But this time, her sister who couldn’t come on the trip and was dogsitting Jasper, had the two connect and the result quickly went viral with over 11.2 million views and 2.3 million likes.
“My sister wished she could’ve been in Nashville so she texted me saying, ‘Leave me on the table on FaceTime so I can dance,’ and then she put Jasper on the phone,” Carly Mickeal told Newsweek.
@carlymickeal/TikTok
In the video, her phone was propped up on the table while she was dancing next to it, pointing at Jasper whose face was on the screen. The pup was bopping along to the music from the other end of the call. However, he did not look too happy he was left at home.
Mickeal said this was not the first time she had FaceTimed her dog while away and it likely won’t be the last.
“I miss my dog every time I leave but I was on a trip so I missed him a TON!” she said.
Her sharing that she has separation anxiety when leaving Jasper is common with pet owners. A Psychology Today article published in June 2022 reported that nearly half of pet owners have stated that they become anxious when away from their animals.
In a 2022 YouGov survey, 40 percent of American pet owners who were polled answered “yes” when they were asked if they felt “anxious leaving your pets at home alone all day?”
Pets can separation anxiety as well. A few signs of separation anxiety in dogs include: being disruptive or destructive, urinating, defecating, barking, howling, chewing, digging, or trying to escape.
TikTok Users React
The viral clip quickly touched people’s hearts as they too have felt the pain of leaving their pets behind to go on vacation.
“This would be me without a doubt,” commented one user
Another wrote: “I want a dogsitter so bad so I can call my dog when I miss her!!”
Others loved how the dog was dancing too. One TikTok user posted: “The person moving the camera with the song on the dog made me lol.”
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to [email protected] with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our “Pet of the Week” lineup.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.