A video of a senior dog with special needs soothing himself with a blanket has gone viral on TikTok.
The clip was posted three days ago by TikTok user Julie Saraceno (@juliesaraceno2), a 41-year-old graphic designer and photographer based in Pasco, Washington. She is a volunteer at the Benton-Franklin Humane Society, an animal shelter in Kennewick, Washington.
The latest footage shows Snoopy, a Staffordshire terrier with Cushing's disease, inside a cage at the Benton-Franklin Humane Society. He has been a shelter dog for 650 days and is yet to be adopted. The pup is seen laying on a blanket, holding one end of it with his paws and mouth.
Saraceno told Newsweek: "To my knowledge, he sucks on his blankets and his toys too. He received a stuffed Snoopy toy, and he sucks on that too. A staff member told me it's something they've always noticed, so it's been going on for at least his time at the shelter."
One of the greatest stressors for dogs in animal shelters is social isolation, states a March 2019 study in PeerJ.
Research has shown that "human interaction reduces cortisol [a hormone regulating stress] in shelter dogs, with the possibility that longer periods of interaction may yield greater effects," the study said.
Cushing's disease sees a dog's adrenal glands overproduce certain hormones, explained veterinarians Malcolm Weir and Ernest Ward in an article for VCA, one of North America's largest animal-hospital chains.
The adrenal glands produce several vital substances that regulate different body functions. Weir and Ward said: "The most widely known of these substances is cortisol, commonly known as cortisone. Decreased or excessive production of these substances, especially cortisol, may be life-threatening."
A message overlaid on the latest viral clip reads: "I asked the shelter why Snoopy sucks on his blanket and they said he does it to self-soothe."
According to a video posted on July 5, Snoopy has now been a shelter dog for 649 days. He's been getting "overlooked" as he is a senior dog with special needs. Saraceno said Snoopy was diagnosed with Cushing's disease just over a year ago and has problems with his vision, hearing, weight and skin.
A caption shared with the latest viral clip reads: "Snoopy is hoping today will be the day he goes home."
The latest video has melted the hearts of users on TikTok, with KatAmTam writing that Snoopy's blanket is "just like a pacifier."
Angel posted: "My dog does this! I wish I could adopt him."
User jules simply wrote, "Precious baby," while T commented that he's "Such a beautiful boy."
NeenerWeener added: "Snoopy, love you bubba hope you find your home soon."
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.
Correction 7/5/23, 11:48 a.m. ET: This article was updated with the corrected state location for Pasco.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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