A pet owner grieving the loss of her 16-year-old dachshund had followers in floods of tears after sharing the poignant message she discovered in a fortune cookie left over from one of the "bucket list" meals he enjoyed before he died.
Willy the dachshund's owner, who asked not to be named, didn't know what to expect when she began filming herself opening the cookie. However, the message inside left her floored.
"In a strange way, it was like Willy left a message for us," she told Newsweek.
The loss of a beloved pet is an emotionally devastating experience. In some instances, it can even be, quite literally, heartbreaking. In 2017, the New England Journal of Medicine highlighted the case of a Texas woman who was admitted to hospital with symptoms most commonly associated with a heart attack.
However, subsequent X-rays revealed no blocked arteries. Upon speaking to the woman, doctors learned that she had recently lost her beloved 9-year-old Yorkshire terrier. Doctors eventually diagnosed her as having suffered from "broken-heart syndrome," or Takotsubo cardiomyopathy to give it its technical term.
Essentially, the left ventricular of the heart can temporarily balloon in times of extreme stress, leading to shortness of breath, chest pain and irregular heartbeats. Thankfully, in this instance, the woman involved recovered, but her case highlights the impact our pets have on our everyday lives.
Willy the dog did not just leave behind his owner either. He also left behind a wiener dog sibling, Molly. Together they had become popular figures on TikTok, with their owner regularly posting videos of their adventures together under the handle @its_a_weinah.
"Molly has also been quite lost since he passed," Willy's owner said. "She was basically Willy's shadow. What Willy was doing Molly was doing."
More recently, their videos had been focusing on Willy's journey to the end of his life after he was diagnosed with late stage lymphoma in early June and given four to eight weeks to live.
His owner decided to fill that time by having Willy embark on his own bucket list of activities. They painted together, took paw prints and enjoyed lavish meals suggested by his army of fans.
That was how he wound up getting the fortune cookie in the first place.
"Someone suggested Chinese takeout as a bucket list idea because their dog liked Asian style food," his owner said. "I got him a Panda Express cub kids meal and carefully picked out peppers and onions from it. It was only a small amount of green beans, chicken and rice. He really had a strong positive reaction to it. I had no idea if he would even like it. But he really did."
Willy's owner said she noticed the fortune cookie in the bag but decided to "set it aside in a safe place" so it wouldn't be thrown away. "I honestly just forgot about it with all that was going on," she said.
Less than two weeks later, on July 28, Willy's 16th birthday, he died beside his owner and his best doggy friend, Molly. They have been grieving ever since. "It has been very tough honestly," his owner admits. "He was such a big focus and part of my life it's been difficult trying to adjust."
She came across the fortune cookie around three weeks later. "It was a very tough day emotionally when I found it. I wanted to share the cookie with Molly so I recorded opening it," she said.
The resulting video has been watched over 1.1 million times on TikTok. Willy's owner had no idea what to expect from the fortune cookie but the message she found inside was a powerful one and one she felt, in some strange way, came from Willy. It read simply: "Any troubles you have will pass shortly."
"The message came when it was needed for sure," his owner said. "It was like he was saying 'I know you are struggling but you'll be okay' in a comforting way. Finding little things like that is very helpful when missing a pet and going through the grieving process."
Many on TikTok agreed. "Wow. That was from Willy. Thinking about you and Molly," one wrote, while another concurred: "That was meant for you and Molly to find at the right time."
Whatever the truth, the message left Willy's owner stunned. "I never expected that," she said. "I figured it would maybe be a nice message like 'you bring joy to those around you' or some generic uplifting fortune cookie message that would make me smile and those on TikTok remember him with happiness."
Though her old dog may no longer be around to enjoy his bucket list, his owner is planning to plough on with the activities alongside Molly and she would encourage others to treat their dogs to similar and make their time together count.
"It's never too early to make sure you have reminders of the wonderful memories you've made with a pet," she said.
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.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Jack Beresford is a Newsweek Senior Internet Culture & Trends Reporter, based in London, UK. His focus is reporting on ... Read more
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