Hearts Break for Dog Staring at Empty Bed Beside Him After 'Soulmate' Dies

Copyright newsweek

An Alabama woman has shared heartbreaking footage of her Shih Tzu looking mournfully over at the empty bed where his “soulmate” dog used to sleep. Kimberly adopted Leo the Shih Tzu from an overcrowded shelter in Monroeville. “He was dumped there. Tied to a pole,” Kimberly told Newsweek. “When they came to work, the workers found him there without any other information.” Kimberly wasn’t alone when she came to the shelter to visit Leo. Lily, her other rescue dog, accompanied her that day, and took an instant liking to Leo. He left with them later that day. Maybe some of Lily’s instant affinity to Leo that had to do with her own difficult past. “Lily was given to me by someone who said his mom could no longer take care of her,” Kimberly said. Kimberly was mourning the loss of both of her parents to cancer when Lily came into her life. She was finalizing a divorce and her previous dog, Bones, had just died in a house fire. She wasn’t sure if she wanted another dog. Lily soon changed that. “She saved me and later I realized I saved her too,” Kimberly said. “Her previous owner would leave her locked in a bedroom or even outside for days at a time!!!! Inside is awful but outside is unbelievably cruel.” Those traumatic experiences left an impact on Lily. She was scared of thunderstorms and other bad weather, perhaps recalling the many hours she spent out in the elements. Though cuddles, games of hide and seek and the occasional bit of fetch helped take her mind off things, it wasn’t until Leo arrived that things began to change for the better. “Leo was very helpful with this when he came along,” Kimberly said. “She was still scared but not as much with him by her side.” Though Leo differed in his love of car rides and social situations, the two dogs developed a special bond. “They were very close. We took them everywhere together. They slept together, ate together and were never too far apart,” Kimberly said. “They would look back for the other one when they’d walk or go up stairs. She was like his mom, in a way because she seemed to always look out for him.” Leo has been grieving his “mom” Lily. A few years passed. Then a visit to the vet changed everything. Kimberly had taken Lily for what she thought would be a routine tooth extraction. Later she got a call to say Lily had mouth cancer. Though there was an opportunity for her to undergo chemotherapy, it would only prolong her life a few months. Lily was 13 at the time. “I didn’t think chemo was fair,” Kimberly said. “She wasn’t able to run, walk up stairs, and was going blind. As selfish as I wanted to be, I knew I was going to have to let her go.” The vet had originally informed Kimberly that Lily was unlikely to make it to Christmas. But she held on until just after. That was when Kimberly knew it was time. “I gave her a bath, bandaged her up and took her and Leo for a pup cup and one last walk together before her appointment,” she said. Lily passed away on December 26, 2024. Her death is one still keenly felt by Kimberly. “I miss her everyday,” she said. “I don’t cry as much, but I still do.” Leo, meanwhile, has struggled to make sense of losing Lily. That’s not uncommon. A 2022 study published in the journal Scientific Reports highlighted evidence indicating dogs mourn the loss of a canine sibling. Researchers surveyed 426 pet owners who had owned two dogs or more to find out the impact the death of a dog had had on their surviving canine sibling. These surviving dogs appeared to experience a raft of grief-related symptoms including loss of appetite, lethargy, fearfulness and trouble sleeping. Kimberly said Leo was “very much impacted” by the death of Lily. “He didn’t eat for a day or two,” she said. “He refuses to eat where they both ate when Lily was still here.” Even now, Kimberly believes Leo “still looks for her from time to time.” A video posted to her TikTok @handmadebyhorn shows Leo looking over at the empty bed next to him where his “soulmate” once slept. Kimberly has now taken steps to try and help Leo move on. He’s got a new bed, away from where they once slept together. “Leo still seems a little sad at times, but I’m not sure if I’m putting my feelings on him or he really is sad,” Kimberly said. Lily will never be forgotten. So much of the confidence and joy he expresses every day with Kimberly is thanks to the support Lily gave him. “She helped him learn to trust, he mimicked her tricks – and would bark with her and we encouraged it,” Kimberly said. “But I think Leo also gave Lily a longer life. She was so happy with him. She had a little more pep after he came along.” Though she may be gone, a small part of Lily lives on through Leo.