A viral video has melted hearts after a man was filmed taking a rainy-day stroll with his puppy in New York City—and adorably shielding his puppy with an umbrella.
Posted by @daniellehendrickss on TikTok, the video has gained over 6 million views.
In the footage, the man and his small golden retriever puppy are walking the rain-drenched streets as he held an umbrella protectively over the dog.
Poster Danielle, who was on a coffee date in the West Village at the time, told Newsweek: "My initial reaction was that's the cutest thing I'll see all day."
While some dogs love water in all forms, others are known to hate getting wet, which can make rainy days a bit of a challenge.
Thankfully there are plenty of options for helping out dogs that don't like the rain—and you don't necessarily need to give up your umbrella either.
Dog raincoats and waterproof gear for pets are a great way to protect your pup from the rain, while positive reinforcement can encourage your dog to go outside even if the weather isn't ideal.
The gesture tugged at the hearts of people online who instantly fell for the dog walker.
The caption alongside the video read: "to the boy walking in the West Village, I'm free Monday if you are."
While the text overlay jokingly pleaded for the return of the "lost" man and his dog.
In a series of comments on the viral video, it was proven that the video poster wasn't the only one who felt that way.
"I need to stop falling in love with strangers on the internet," Helen Mae said.
While BabyPineapples empathized with the owner: "Anyone that's had a dog that refuses to potty in the rain understands this level of commitment."
Others were delighted by how happy the dog looked thanks to his owner's actions: "The dog looks so happy," said viewer liz katerina.
"I expected the video to do well because it's a puppy and who doesn't love puppies," said Danielle. "[I] have been loving how much everyone has been loving it as well!"
But the internet's hopes for romance were dashed when it was revealed that the man in the video already had a girlfriend. The golden retriever, affectionately named Millie, has her own social media account @millieinthecity_ on Instagram.
Run by the couple that own her, Owen VanTongeren and Hayley Zukerberg, the account featuring the puppy that only arrived home two weeks ago already has over 1,000 followers.
"I was so shocked thought it was so funny I was working out and my girlfriend came running up to me showing me the video it was wild. I did not expect it to reach so many people like it did," VanTongeren told Newsweek.
He also explained the situation a little further. "Millie loves the rain but she was just washed that day so I was trying to keep her dry," he explained. "She also doesn't like going to the bathroom when it's raining."
"We were picking up mom at her nail salon. I will shield her off for the rest of her life, princess treatment only," the doting owner added.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our "Pet of the Week" lineup.
Update 03/06/24, 2:57 a.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from Owen VanTongeren.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Alice Gibbs is a Newsweek Senior Internet Trends & Culture Reporter based in the U.K. For the last two years ... Read more
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