A rescue dog had one of the most heartbreaking reactions possible to seeing her owner packing a suitcase to go on vacation.
Solmaz Afshar from Hermosa Beach in California shared footage of the moment her pit bull Nala realized she was planning a trip away and made it clear she did not want to be left behind.
In a video posted to Afshar’s TikTok, petsofparadise, Nala can be seen enconsed in the trunk of Afshar’s car with the saddest expression on her face. The message is clear: If you go, I go.
“She definitely has separation anxiety,” Afshar told Newsweek. “She always wants to be in the know, in the mix and next to you.”
When it comes to dogs and their owners, absence really does make the heart grow fonder. In 2011, a study published in Applied Animal Behavior Science saw 12 dogs with no history of separation anxiety recorded on three occasions after being left at home alone.
In the first instance, they were filmed greeting their owner after 30 minutes of separation, while the second saw them separated for two hours and the third for four hours. The researchers found that the dogs greeted their owners with more gusto after two hours apart than they did after just half an hour. The reaction was similarly more intense after four hours.
Nala didn’t even let it get that far, though; the merest suggestion of Afshar leaving was enough to prompt a reaction. She has valid reason to feel particularly attached to her owner-as a rescue pup, she’s likely faced her fair share of rejection.
A keen bully breed advocate who regularly donates time and money to the cause in California, Afshar originally fostered Nala to give her a break from the shelter.
“I was fostering her as a 12-week old puppy from a local rescue called Bullies and Buddies,” Afshar said. “She was the cutest puppy I ever saw and I cried every time I had to drop her off at an adoption event, secretly and selfishly hoping she wouldn’t get adopted so I would have more time with her.”
After seeing her twice attend adoption events without finding a forever home, Afshar decided enough was enough and adopted her. They have been best friends ever since.
“Her favorite things to do are eat – just like her mama – swimming and fetch her ball, go play in the snow, cuddling with you and giving you comfort when you need it – she really is the sweetest thoughtful loving baby,” she said.
Afshar has always been happy to bring Nala on trips around the U.S. with her, but draws the line at international travel. “I just could not stand her being under the plane,” she explained. “She would not do well in that environment. She would be so scared.”
Ahead of a recent trip to Tulum in Mexico, Afshar made plans for her younger brother, who Nala considers her “other favorite person” to come and stay. Despite that, Nala did not react well to the sight of suitcases.
“She’s so smart the second she saw the luggage she’s like ‘no mom i’m coming too!!'” Afshar said. “She ran out the door and jumped straight into the back of the car.”
Afshar isn’t entirely sure what prompted this reaction. It could be down to her past as a rescue dog and insecurity over previous rejections. Afshar has another idea though.
“When she was a puppy I worked a lot. So I think that may have had something to do with being so attached to me now,” she said. “But really she’s just a sensitive big ole baby like most pit bulls are.”
Ultimately, videos like this show the softer side of pit bulls.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
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This story was originally published December 18, 2023, 10:58 AM.
source: star-telegram
