Woman Films Heartbreaking Moment She Knew It Was Her Dog's Time to Go

A woman from Brisbane, Australia, has gone viral for sharing the devastating moment she knew it was her dog's time to go, serving as a painful reminder that our pets' lives are much shorter than we'd hope for.

For Yasmin, who doesn't wish to disclose her full name, seeing her 15-year-old dog, Kizzie, gradually decline over recent months has been painful. It was an "incredibly heartbreaking" experience for Yasmin, but she told Newsweek that she is "very lucky to have been able to have her in our lives."

Yasmin shared the video of Kizzie's final day on her TikTok account (@uglybrisbanegirl) on July 14, and it's been viewed more than 4.4 million times already. The video explained she "caught on film the moment [she] knew something was wrong."

Kizzie was on a lot of medication to treat pain, arthritis and incontinence, but her health kept declining, and the family knew she was ready. Before the time came however, Yasmin and her family gave Kizzie the best day she could have wished for, as it was nothing short of what she deserved.

"She had been going slowly downhill for a long time, a combination of old age, arthritis, a massive fat lump on her abdomen which made it harder to walk, incontinence issues and kidney problems. We realized things were really getting worse when she wasn't able to get up from laying down. We would have to help her and massage her back legs to get her moving."

Yasmin would have liked to take Kizzie to the beach one last time, but unfortunately the weather was against them, as she said, "the world was crying with us."

"We couldn't take her to the beach, so we decided to just stay home with her. We gave her all the treats she always wished she could have, including chocolate and ice cream. We gave her lots of cuddles, love, and played her favorite songs on guitar."

Owners will have built up an enviable bond with their pets, so by the time they reach their senior years, any changes in behavior or routine should be apparent. The Animal Humane Society highlights that owners should look for signs that they're in pain, if they lose their appetite, if they can no longer get to their litterbox or garden, and whether their mood has changed.

It's also important to look at whether the pet has any quality of life left, as the Animal Humane Society suggests that owners should ask themselves whether their pet is thriving still.

If owners think that the time may be coming, they can compare the animal's current state to their previous self, when they were in much better health. There may be drastic differences that wouldn't be obvious in real time because the changes are so gradual.

Tracking their good and bad days on a calendar is another recommendation that the Animal Humane Society makes, as it can show whether they're having more bad days than good.

It's never an easy experience to say goodbye, so pet owners should take their time to ensure they're ready too, and giving the pet a memorable send-off will add some light to the very dark time.

Despite Kizzie's ailing health, Yasmin refused to give up hope on her senior dog, and they continued going out for walks, albeit much slower walks. Yasmin was happy to go at Kizzie's pace, and tried not to push her too far, but towards the end she started showing no interest in exercise or food. At that point, they knew it was time.

"Afternoon walks got slower and shorter each week, until she could only manage 200 meters in 15 minutes. She stopped wanting to eat and showed no interest in food. In the last couple of weeks, she had to be hand-fed her meals, and each one could take up to three hours to finish."

Since the video went viral on TikTok, Yasmin has been inundated with over 978,000 likes and 7,000 comments in just a matter of days. She's had a great deal of support as plenty of TikTok users recognize how hard it is to have those "final cuddles" when going through the loss of a pet.

One person commented: "Losing a pet is the worst pain anyone can ever go through."

Another person wrote: "So sorry. No amount of time is ever enough."

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.