Woman Books a Vacation, Golden Retriever Has Other Plans

A golden retriever came up with a foolproof method to make sure her owner wasn't going to leave her to go on vacation: eating her passport.

Having a dog is a huge responsibility, and owners often do everything they can to make sure they are always there for their pet. But sometimes going away is inevitable, either for work or leisure, and while pets may get good care in kennels or with friends, they often prefer that you never leave them.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals says that dogs can often tell when their owner is preparing to leave. "For example, a dog might start to pace, pant and whine when he notices his guardian applying makeup, putting on shoes and a coat, and then picking up a bag or car keys," the ASPCA writes.

Retriever Bonnie, who lives in Northern Ireland with her owner, was determined that if she couldn't go on vacation, nobody could.

A TikTok post shared on April 25, which has been viewed over 320,000 times, shows Bonnie sitting happily next to a sofa. The camera then pans to show a British passport ripped to shreds on the sofa. Exasperated, Bonnie's owner can be heard saying, "Bonnie!"

But Bonnie doesn't seem to care as she wriggles around, looking as if she wants to show off her handiwork.

Her owner, under the TikTok handle @bonniebalboa, wrote in the caption: "Holiday = cancelled."

But it's clearly impossible to stay mad at Bonnie, and hundreds of people flocked to the comments section to defend the pup, with one writing: "MY CLIENT IS INNOCENT."

"You can cancel the kennels now," another wrote.

One user said: "You are not going away and leaving me and THAT'S THAT!"

Another joked: "Bonnie knew damn well what she was doing there - she said I'll show ya - no sitters for me!"

Her owner replied in agreement: "Haha so true, she really outsmarted us." It appears Bonnie's trick to stop her owners from going on vacation worked.

Bonnie's TikTok account has multiple videos of her as a puppy ripping things to shreds, as puppies do. But she appears to have increased this behavior in recent months.

Alexandra Bassett, the lead dog trainer and behavior consultant at pet training website Dog Savvy Los Angeles, said dogs suffering from separation anxiety can act out because of "extreme frustration they feel about being left behind when their pet parents leave home or leave them somewhere else, like a boarding facility/with friends when they go for a vacation."

She told Newsweek: "Dogs are sensitive to any change in their household routine and can definitely remember that when luggage is pulled out of storage and their pet parents start packing, their absence is imminent."

Bassett went on: "For dogs with separation anxiety, this can cause a lot of anxiety, so they may develop a furrowed brow, whale eye—when you can see the whites of a dog's eyes—and keep a close watch on their pet parent, following them around with a worried expression as soon as the luggage gets pulled out."

In Bonnie's case, she may associate the passport with her owners leaving for a few days and was determined to stop it. Or perhaps she simply took the opportunity to chew on something new and exciting. In any case, the vacation has been canceled, and Bonnie looks proud of her work.

Newsweek has reached out to @Bonniebalboa on TikTok for comment.

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