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A video of an American bully dog showing love to an elderly man passing by on a street has gone viral on TikTok, where it has received 2.4 million views.
The clip was shared by user @demijayplummer with a caption that reads: “Xl bully attacks on an old man passing with kisses.”
The video began with the dog standing in the corner of a gated area, with his tail wagging. As the old man approached, the dog was seen reaching up and over the fence, standing on its two hind legs. The man bent forward to pet the dog as the canine appeared to lick his face several times.
“In spite of its considerable size, the XL is highly prized for not only its impressive stature, but also its gentle personality and loving nature,” the UK Bully Kennel Club, a bull breed registry in the U.K., says on its website.
Studies have shown that the elderly share a special bond with dogs and that canines can be important for their health.
An August 2019 study in the International Journal of Community Well-Being noted that while canine companionship is important for people of all ages, “for senior people, dogs take on a particular significance.”
“Beyond the many positive physical, emotional, and social benefits dogs provide older adults is the relationship that exists between senior people and their dogs,” the study said. “Seniors, who have deep attachment to their dogs, think of their dogs as cherished family members rather than as animals with benefits.”
In an April 2019 national poll of pet owners aged 50 to 80, conducted by the University of Michigan’s Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, 79 percent said their pets help reduce stress. Seventy-three percent said the pets give them a sense of purpose.
Over 70 percent of older adults whose health was reported to be fair or poor said their pets help them cope with physical or emotional symptoms, the poll found.
The caption to the TikTok clip said: “In all seriousness he [the dog] waits for people to pass and stroke him, if they don’t he runs up the drive crying.”
The dog’s interaction with the old man has made a big impact on users on TikTok.
Several assumed the man regularly passes by the dog. But the original poster said the moment in the clip was only the second time the dog had seen the man.
Lynn Clark wrote: “How beautiful is that.”
User daved4478 wrote that dogs “have a 6th sense, he sensed the old man was not threat,” while Dan Kingsbury wrote, “That’s his buddy.”
User E pointed out “his tail is wagging away,” while michellemorgan133 said, “Awww so precious.”
Some users expressed concern that the encounter could have been dangerous.
User gregsmartt0 wrote: “Tomorrow it [the dog] may chew his [the old man’s] head off. just the way they are.”
The original poster replied: “Over 100 people must pass my house weekly, nearly everyone pets him and he’s never even growled.”
User mas noted, “Love dogs still wouldn’t put my face too close,” to which the original poster replied, “If I was there I’d [have] probably said the same. He was happy the dog was happy.”
Newsweek has contacted the original poster via TikTok for comment. This video has not been independently verified.
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.
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