Woman documents how her 86-year-old dad regained ‘sense of purpose’ after she gifted him a pup

It's a proven fact that dogs are a man's best companion. No matter how old you are, it's impossible to not love these fur babies who are always ready to love you unconditionally. One such lovely duo consisting of a veteran gentleman and a fluffy pomeranian is going viral on social media platforms lately. According to Newsweek, a woman named Katie was noticing how her 87-year-old dad, John, was getting increasingly lonely while living all by himself.

That's when Katie decided to make a hard but heartfelt decision and give away her pet pomeranian dog to her father so he could use some four-legged company. It turns out that Katie had made the right decision after all. John and Dolly, the pomeranian, became fast friends and now they are inseparable. Katie documents the adventures of her dad with Dolly on Instagram and TikTok regularly and people are melting over the precious friendship that has formed between the man and his dog.

In a series of videos, Katie recorded the duo watching old movies on the couch together, dining together, going out for strolls or simply taking a nap. Katie believes that Dolly has lit up her father's life and the duo can be rarely seen apart from each other.

Pomeranians in general are considered to be ideal companions for humans as they love socializing, per The American Kennel Club. These dogs are always enthusiastic about learning new tricks and even act as watchdogs for their owners. However, they are more than happy to just be a part of their human family. Katie, who resides in London with her father, did not expect to see the overwhelming reaction from people at first.

"I got Dolly in December 2019, but when my dad moved into the apartment next door to mine in June 2021, I gave her to him to look after," she told the outlet, "I was worried about him being lonely when I was working or out, and I wanted him to have company. He had previously lived with his partner for many years, but she had to return to her home country to be near her children due to illness and the pandemic."

"I knew he missed his partner, and moving to a new place was challenging for him. So I thought Dolly would just take some of the stress and sadness away," Katie continued. At that moment she thought that Dolly might be able to help her dad cope with this loneliness but she never expected them to develop a deep connection so quickly. John also happens to suffer from mild cognitive impairment and hence he spends most of his time inside the house with Dolly.

"They share a lot of things in common including eating things they shouldn't and spontaneous naps," Katie joked, "Having Dolly has helped enormously. It means I feel more relaxed that he's okay and not lonely when I'm not there. I think looking after Dolly also gives him a sense of purpose, which is important for anyone. My dad is a very strong person mentally, but the last few years have been hard on him. Many of his close friends and siblings have died or moved away in recent years, so Dolly helps to fill that gap and enriches his life."

Several people left wholesome remarks on some of Katie's viral videos. @marv.eurich_ on Instagram wrote under one of Katie's viral videos: "Nice looking gentleman. I’m 80 now and hope I will look this good. I have a 15-year-old Yorkie who knows how long we will have each other. I love him so much, especially after losing my wife a year ago. God bless your family." @gingar2 remarked: "Dogs are just so incredible. They take away the loneliness and give us unconditional love. Humans don't do that."

@niknak1986 wrote under Katie's viral TikTok video with over 5 million views: "A Pomeranian was a perfect pick for him. They need a lot of love and attention." @swlmsn79 added: "This is why pet owners live longer and have a higher quality of life. We all need someone who loves us no matter what."