Dog’s Heartbreaking Search for Deceased Sibling
A heartbreaking video shared on TikTok under the username trinatrainwreck has gone viral, capturing the raw reaction of a nine-year-old labrador retriever, McCoy, searching for his deceased sibling, Ollie after what seemed like he perceived him in the ashes.
The clip, shared on June 7 by the dog owner Trina, shows the moment his boyfriend, Adam brings home the ashes of Ollie, who passed away a couple of weeks back after 6 months battle with Lyme Nephritis.
The video follows Adams as he introduces the ashes box and Ollie’s collar to McCoy. To the astonishment of viewers, McCoy appears to recognize the scent of his brother, his tail wagging excitedly as he sniffs the urn containing Ollie’s remains and the collar he used to wear before passing. As if he was not satisfied with the scent and the collar, McCoy continued searching around the area for Ollie’s physical presence.
“We put our pup down 2 weeks ago. Today, we finally brought him home to his brother again,” a caption accompanying the video reads.
Watch the dog’s heartbreaking search for deceased sibling below:
Trina explained to Newsweek that McCoy is her “soul dog,” who has been a constant source of support for her, helping her cope with the loss of her boyfriend in 2014.
“McCoy came into my life a few weeks after my late boyfriend passed away in 2014 from a suspicious drowning,” Trina reportedly said.
“After losing a loved one, basic tasks become nearly impossible, but McCoy changed that and helped me survive. He was the reason I had to get out of bed every morning and I was forced to put one foot in front of the other.”
Ollie, brought into the family in 2017 by Trina’s new boyfriend, Adam, quickly became best friends with McCoy. The pair shared an unbreakable bond, doing everything together from hunting and fishing to simply enjoying car rides.
Their close relationship was evident in a heartwarming video shared by Trina on June 8, where the pair wore matching collars, with striking resemblance often leading people to believe “they were twins.”
“After the night Adam and I met, we became Instagram friends and I noticed in so many of his pictures a beautiful Labrador retriever that looked like he could be my dog’s twin. We obviously had a big connection through our dogs and quickly introduced McCoy to Olie. They soon after became roommates, brothers, and best friends,” Trina shared.
“I always prayed that McCoy would live long enough to get me to my ‘family’… and he did. Unfortunately, Olie passed away not long after life finally fell into place,” she added.
Trina also explained that Ollie’s passing left McCoy devastated as he continued to search for him in every corner of the house. In an attempt to help McCoy process his grief, Trina brought Ollie’s ashes home, hoping it would provide some closure.
To help heal their hearts, the family has welcomed a new golden retriever puppy named Patrick, who has brought joy and a sense of normalcy back into their lives.
“McCoy was sad for a couple months following Olie’s death, but we are happy to say that McCoy now has a bonus brother: A sweet, 12-week-old golden retriever puppy named Patrick. He is a silver lining and brings the happy to our sadness. He’s helped us through a soul-pup loss. Another ‘grief pup.’ Ah, the circle of life.”
“In our vet’s 20 years of experience, she has never seen/treated a single case of Lyme Nephritis. Olie was the exception. She told us dogs don’t survive it. We thought he wouldn’t live past a week, then that turned into a month, then more. After 6 months, Olie succumbed to Lyme Nephritis surrounded by his family and best friend McCoy.”
Lyme Nephritis is a kidney failure due to complications from Lyme Disease, a rare chronic inflammatory disease that affects many body systems. American Veterinary Medical Association explains that Lyme disease is caused by a type of bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi that’s transmitted through certain ticks. Pets such as cats and dogs as well as humans can suffer from Lyme disease.
Since the video posting, it has garnered 1.7 million views, over 2,600 likes, and more than 10,000 comments. He is like ” I can smell him but where is he,” one user, Natalie commented. ” The way he keeps looking for him,” another wrote accompanied by sad emojis.
Watch the dog’s heartbreaking search for deceased sibling below:
@trinatrainwreck Life will never be the same. 💔 #dogsoftiktok #petloss #petgrief #labrador ♬ Beautiful Boy Edit – 𝙇𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙪𝙁𝙞𝙡𝙢𝙨
