In a viral video, a dog named Oyo was seen sitting in front of a casket, mourning the loss of his owner. What happened the day after left viewers in tears.
The dog owner’s niece, who wished to stay anonymous, told Newsweek via TikTok that her uncle shared an inseparable bond with his dog, Oyo. The dog was like his shadow, following him wherever he went, she said. But soon enough, Oyo’s life turned upside down, as well as her family’s, when her uncle became sick and passed away.
“Even before my uncle passed, when he was in and out of the hospital, Oyo already seemed affected,” she said. “Neighbors would tell us that they would often see him waiting outside or hear him wailing as if longing for my uncle’s return.”
Dogs use howling as a form of communication, according to the American Kennel Club. Many canines have learned to use howling to their advantage, as it quickly grabs their owner’s attention. Their howls signal to other people and dogs that they are there, marking their territory. It could be a response to sickness or pain, or a response to triggering noises. But many lonely and anxious dogs will also howl, especially those with separation anxiety.
Oyo soon learned his owner would not return. In the September 23 TikTok video posted to the account @princeandprincess_13, Oyo sat by his owner’s casket during the wake, breathing heavily. Grief overtook him.
“When my uncle’s body was brought home for the wake, Oyo appeared completely lost,” she said. “He refused to eat, stayed beneath the coffin whenever he could, and often looked as though he was weeping or struggling to breathe.”
She said that seeing Oyo grieve was both painful and unforgettable. It became a moment of “love, loyalty and anguish without blemish.”
The family tried their best to comfort Oyo, but the day after the dog grieved at her uncle’s wake, Oyo crossed the rainbow bridge.
“Some may call it illness, others heartbreak, and truthfully, I cannot say for certain,” she said. “What I do know is that their bond was real and deep, one that even death could not break.”
While there is no scientific evidence that a dog can pass from a broken heart, emotional stress can have severe consequences, according to a vet-reviewed article from Dogster. Dogs often become stressed following the loss of their owner. This is because their daily routines change. Then mix in the signs of grieving—lethargy, loss of appetite, weight loss, destructive behavior—that, when left untreated, can lead to health complications.
Now, the family is grieving both, but she said they’re taking comfort in knowing Oyo and his owner are together again.
Devestated TikTok viewers flooded the video’s comment section with tears, and as of Wednesday, the clip reached over 1.7 million views and 322,000 likes.
“They are crossing the rainbow together,” one TikTok user wrote.
“Dude, he’s crying. You can NEVER convince me they don’t have feelings. I would have been hugging and consoling him,” another commenter said.
“A grieving dog is so hard to see. Their loyalty is unmatched,” a third person commented.