Twitter user Michaella (@oohhhkayyy) recently shared what’s probably the most adorable rescue operation on the Internet.
Her father reported some sad news to the family in their group chat. One of their dogs named Lucky had a stuffed animal that wasn’t so lucky: he found it outside in the pouring rain. However, determined to do everything in his power, the man refused to give up on it. He proceeded to try and “save” it.
His good intentions are totally understandable. After all, many dogs have their favorite toys which often are their source of comfort.
Michaella’s dad clearly understood that every second was precious. So he went full paramedic on the toy (including CPR). Luckily, fate was kind to the teddy. It made a full recovery.
After Michaella saw the wholesome report (complete with photographic evidence), she immediately posted it on Twitter. There, her post received a whopping 586K likes and many, many people thanked her dad for brightening their day.
After reading about the rescue operation, some people started sharing similar stories
Image credits: becca_frenchSome dogs do have their favorite toys that require (almost) the same care and attention as Michaella’s dad provided to Lucky’s plush. “There’s no one-size-fits-all reason for why certain dogs might decide on a favorite toy,” Erika Loftin, veterinarian and critical care specialist at DoveLewis Emergency Animal Hospital, told The Dodo.
“Some dogs, female dogs in particular, might bond with something that’s like a surrogate for a puppy,” Loftin explained. “They mother it, they carry it around, and they get attached to it that way.”
Mothering aside, most dog owners have probably witnessed their pets continually shredding a particular toy into smaller and smaller pieces. This can happen if a dog has high predatory drives (think terriers, cattle dogs, and hounds). Then the pup gets attached to toys it can really tear into.
What about dogs that were bred to hunt? Well, their favorite toys might be the ones making sounds.
And finally, there are the ball-obsessed breeds that will chase it until they completely wear themselves down. Like Labradors and Golden Retrievers. “I have a labrador and it’s a comfort thing for him for sure,” Liz Kover, dog trainer and director of Miracle Mutts, told The Dodo. “Whether he is nervous or excited, whatever the case may be, he likes to have a ball in his mouth. Just holding something in his mouth is comforting to him.”
It is also believed that a special toy can symbolize a special moment to a dog, often involving a human. “Like when you give your dog a toy and there is a moment that is happy and special with a toy and they associate it with a memory, which is debatable,” Kover added. “It’s like when you have a toy as a child that your uncle gave you for Christmas and you haven’t seen him for ages. Those moments have a lot of impacts for dogs and the impact can last forever.”
So if your pup has that one toy, save it.