A rescue dog has captured hearts with her ever-excited reaction to returning home. In a viral TikTok video, Willow can barely contain her joy as the car turns into her neighborhood.
Willow, estimated to be between 3 and 5 years old, was adopted in December 2023 by Candice Yates, from Johnson City, Tennessee, after she had lost her senior dog, Marley, to a brain tumor.
In the TikTok video, Willow can be seen riding in the front seat of the car with her excitement building as the car approaches the house. Her tail wags furiously, and her face lights up with pure happiness as she realizes she is going home. The video caption reads: "Home is where the heart is."
"Every time we would turn into our neighborhood, about one or two streets over, she would start whining and wagging her tail," Yates told Newsweek.
At first, Yates thought Willow might have spotted another dog, but it soon became clear that the Corgi mix was excited simply because she knew she was almost home.
In 2023, 6.5 million animals entered U.S. shelters, according to Shelter Animals Count, up 4 percent compared to 2022 intakes. At the end of 2023, 117,000 additional dogs and cats were in the animal sheltering system compared to the same time the year before.
Willow's adorable reaction is now a routine that happens every single time they go for a car ride—whether they've been out for five minutes or five hours.
"I have my theories, but I really just think she feels like this is her home," Yates said when asked why she thinks Willow reacts as she does. "To a shelter dog that has come from rough beginnings, having a stable environment makes all the difference in the world."
People shared their reactions to Willow's home time joy.
"Oh my gosh, my dog does the exact same. We rescued her two years ago. She's so afraid of driving with us, tried everything. She's the happiest when she's home," said one viewer.
Another said: "It's the happy-to-be-home smiles for me!"
"I'm always sharing videos of Willow on my social media. She's kinda taken over my pages," Yates joked, delighted that people like to see her adventures online so much. "People just love her, I guess!"
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.
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