Dog Saves ‘Nation’ as Losing Cat’s Best Friend Gets Sweet Surprise

A rescue dog who formed a special bond with his new owner’s cat is heartbroken after the death of his feline friend.

Dogs have been known to mourn their four-legged friends. The 2022 study was published in the journal Scientific Report saw 426 adults who had at least two dogs, one of which had died while the other survived, examining the canine’s reaction to the loss of another pet.

The response paints a picture of the surviving dogs struggling to come to terms with what happened. Owners report changes in how much their dog plays, sleeps or eats, while dogs also appear fearful after death.

Emmett, a rescue pug, has experienced a similar sad time after the death of his owner’s beloved sphynx cat, Gollum. Emmett’s life changed the day Jack Dytrych and his family adopted him through Roadogs Rescue in Southern California, having escaped from a life of abuse and neglect.

“We’ve been raising him for over a year and say the second we see his photo!” Dytrych said Newsweek.

From his nervous beginnings, Emmett has blossomed into a beloved family member who lives a million miles from what he knows at the shelter.

“Emmett’s favorite things are probably napping, eating breakfast and cuddles,” Dytrych said. Gollum played a big role in helping Emmett transition from nervous shelter dog to rescue pug.

“Emmett and Gollum bonded. When Emmett first arrived, he was very hurt and scared. He saw Gollum and followed him,” Dytrych said. “Gollum made him feel safe, and Emmett opened up because of him! They did everything together.”

But what Emmett can’t understand is that Gollum is facing a war of his own.

“Gollum is diagnosed with heart disease in 2021,” Dytrych said. “After living two years longer than the cardiologists expected, he died of fluid in his heart and heart failure.”

The saddest loss of a friend in the last month took its toll on Emmett. In a video posted to the @goodboyemmett TikTok account, Dytrych described how the rescue pug was left “broken” and “crying all week.”

“Emmett immediately knew he wasn’t there,” Dytrych said. “He went to every room in the house looking for Gollum and snuggled with a blanket for three days straight.”

Gollum cannot be replaced, but a week after his death, his family receives a call from the Roadogs asking for help in breeding another sphynx. Dytrych said it was like “kismet.”

“It felt like Gollum pulled some strings and sent us. Once we saw him, we couldn’t say no!” said.

Freya is only a kitten, but she has already made a big impression.

“Freya is playful, brave, goofy and confident! She has given us so much laughter and happiness in the past few weeks,” said Dytrych.

More than that, Freya has a direct influence on Emmett.

“The second he saw Freya, he lit up!” Dytrych said. “We think they know the hairless breed they’re using. They love them right away.”

Everyone mourns the death of a beloved pet in a different way, and for Dytrych and her family, helping other animals always helps. “Sadness will always hurt, but all love has to go somewhere,” he said.

It might even be more than that, though, Dytrych didn’t decide the idea of ​​making Freya’s foster stay a failed foster.

“Never say never,” Dytrych said. “We’ll have to wait and see.”