Dog show judge asks a little girl with autism to show off her stuffed dog in a competition

Editor's note: This article was originally published on March 19, 2020. It has since been updated.

A small act of kindness can go a long way in someone else's life. Especially in today's world, when hope and empathy have seemingly become extremely rare commodities, we've come to expect so little from each other that such acts of kindness shine even brighter. Although the constant stream of negative news the internet submerges us in has left us resigned to a dystopian future, all it takes is one heartwarming video or social media post to remind us that humanity isn't all that hopeless as most of us have come to fear.

A dog show judge restored the internet's faith in humanity when an adorable exchange he shared with a little girl made rounds on the internet. The unidentified American Kennel Society judge became the online world's new favorite human after he went out of his way to bring a smile to the face of the cute spectator watching from the sidelines. A video that has been shared across social media platforms shows him walking up to the child with autism and noticing that she had her own prized pooch to show: a stuffed puppy.

The judge—clad in the snazziest pink suit ever—then offers her the chance to show her toy dog in the competition just like all the other real dog participants. Overjoyed by the offer, the young girl agrees and takes her toy puppy for a spin. She then comes back and gives the kind judge the biggest hug and you can almost hear the internet collectively go "awww..." in that moment. Well, it's the audience going "awww..." in the video, but you get the point.

Pointing out the significance of the heartwarming video, Twitter user Manny wrote: "Sometimes in this super fast-paced world where we get caught up in so many important yet meaningless things it’s moments like this that we need to slow down to appreciate the little things that mean so much more. Awesome." Another Twitter user, JayKwellin, revealed that this isn't the first time this judge has made a child's day. She wrote: "This judge has helped set up the 'peewee' class at dog shows, which is for kids not old enough for the junior showmanship classes. He is literally this amazing with every child at a show and it is a pleasure to watch!"

Meanwhile, the loved ones of individuals with autism expressed how touched they were by the judge's kindness in the video. Twitter user Kratu wrote: "My mum is autistic. That made her cry a little as we just did a dog show #crufts and it was an eye-opener." User Alexa & furry kids tweeted: "I love that! So sweet. Autistic children are some of the most beautiful, kind and inspiring people that I have ever met. I have a friend who has a son who is autistic. I can only describe him as one of God's that he sent to earth to show us what kindness & love looks like."