A social-media video that captures a dog and its owner's tears after dropping off the latter's long-distance boyfriend at the airport has tugged at heartstrings across the internet.
The viral video, which has been viewed more than 1.3 million times since it was first shared to TikTok on November 25, showed content creator Caitlin Mathew bawling her eyes out in her car and shed a light on how tough long-distance romances can be.
"I took this video after my 3-year-old mini goldendoodle, Beau, and I dropped off my boyfriend of almost eight years to the airport after we spent Thanksgiving together," Mathew told Newsweek.
"He's currently studying for his Master's degree in New York, so it was time for him to head back. Beau's favorite person in the entire world is my boyfriend, and anytime my boyfriend leaves the house or we do these airport dropoffs, Beau will whine as can be seen in the video."
"It definitely isn't unusual for me to be a emotional hot mess as well. But this time, after my boyfriend left, I was sitting in the car crying and was actually laughing in my head at same time thinking how hilarious it was that my dog and I were essentially the same person," Mathew added.
She went on to say that watching her boyfriend go through the departure gate was an "emotional moment". Despite their dual upset, the content creator "feels good to know" that her dog adores her partner as much as she does. "I've got a good man," Mathew said.
Mathew's mini goldendoodle could be seen and heard crying beside her in the car's passenger seat, in a show of moral support and joint heartbreak. The viral moment has led to an outpouring of emotion from viewers online.
"NOT HIM CRYING AS WELL," one user commented under the post.
Mathew captioned the post: "Highly recommend not having a long distance boyfriend because you and your dog will cry together at airport drop offs."
Mathew, 23, is a student and user-generated content creator based in Michigan. She regularly shares beauty, fashion and lifestyle clips with her TikTok audience.
In the heartfelt viral post, Mathew can be heard repeatedly comforting her whining dog. "I know, puppy, it sucks. I know, puppy. Don't make me cry more," the content creator says through her tears as the dog whines along in sympathy with their heartbroken friend.
What Do the Comments Say?
Since it was shared to the social-media platform on November 25 by @caitlinmathew, The TikTok post has been liked by over 306,000 users and commented on more than 720 times.
"Idk [I don't know] if I could handle consoling my emotional support animal," one user wrote.
"Is it worth it is the question," another added, while a third posted: "The dog crying would be my last straw."
A few TikTok users who themselves claim to be in long-distance relationships have also shared their advice and experience with Mathew.
"Just keep reminding yourself that it's just goodbye for now! My fiancé and I have been long distance for almost two years and we're moving in together next June," one user wrote.
Another added: "I'm from the U.K and my girl is Swedish and leaving is always hard, just [got to] think you will be together properly sooner than later."
The TikTok post can be seen here.
This article was updated on 01/02/2023 at 10:56 a.m. with comments from Caitlin Mathew.
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