A grandmother by the name of Helen was surprised by her family with a new puppy—and her heart-warming reaction went viral . It was a touching moment captured on film that was made even more poignant by what preceded it. You see, Helen was a grieving pet mom.
The grandmother lost her pet Cavalier King Charles Spaniel to a heart condition. She had adopted the beloved pooch three years prior to his death. Even worse, Helen also suffered through the loss of her pet cat just three weeks later. Her family was deeply troubled by how the grandmother was coping with the back-to-back losses.
It was very obvious to her family that Helen was in need of something to lift her spirits. “She cried and was sad for a long time. She didn’t want to leave the house at all,” said Nicole. “Between the dog and the cat dying, she was just so devastated.”
That “something” turned out to be an adorable new puppy.
A woman’s dog died, leaving her heartbroken. But now she has a new reason to smile… http://t.co/M1l4KakBHe pic.twitter.com/bUYQkyMocJ
— The Dodo (@dodo) April 25, 2015
In the video, which has gone viral thanks to getting a feature on Inside Edition , you see the tearful grandmother gasp and exclaim “Oh my God!” as a family member brings her the cute puppy. As it turns out, the pup is a Cavalier King Charles spaniel. Incredibly, the pup, whose name is Jenny, looks nearly identical to the grandmother’s deceased pet.
Granddaughter Nicole posted the video on YouTube, where it’s since become a big hit. She told Inside Edition that she and her mother traveled for six hours to pick up the puppy so they could surprise Helen.
“At first our family contacted local shelters to see if they had any Cavalier breed dogs and at that time nobody had any Cavaliers. So then we looked into breeders.”
Even though it took a lot of time and effort, Nicole insists that the sight of her tearfully happy grandmother made it all worth while. “[My grandmother] wasn’t expecting it at all,” she said. “My mother was crying, I was crying. Seeing how happy she was brought everyone to tears.” The grandmother couldn’t be happier now that she has a new puppy to love and cherish.
“She’s doing great now. It’s gotten her out of the house, doing lots of things with the dog. [She’s] just so happy.”
[Image Credit: LiVanillangel18 ]