A woman from Toronto went viral after warning internet users against pet-sitting for their friends, and the reason why has warmed hearts on TikTok.
In a viral video shared in December under the username @tandon_rebecca, the 27-year-old explains: “This is a note to anyone whose friend is like can you dog sit my dog? Don’t do it. Don’t do it, because now they’re coming to pick him up tonight and I don’t want to give him back! He’s a giant baby, I love him so much.”
As she holds the husky in her arms, the poster, Rebecca Tandon even fantasizes about running away with him, so his owners won’t be able to take him from her.
“I love him, this is my baby now! He [doesn’t] even care, he doesn’t know how much this is affecting me. He’s just living his life probably going to go sleep, eat, do his own schedule. I’m dying because you’re leaving,” she continues.
Tandon told Newsweek that the pup she’s looking after in the clip, is her friends Erica & Juan’s dog, Twig, whom she absolutely loves.
“I didn’t grow up with dogs so this was new but now I want a dog, he was so chill and easy going. I unfortunately had to give him back but they now know I’m always here to watch him,” she added.
Dogs have been America’s most popular pets for decades. According to Forbes, with 65.1 million households owning at least one, dogs still top the list in 2024, followed by cats and freshwater fish.
Dog owners spend about $910 annually on their pups, and that’s just covering the costs of their basic needs, excluding any extras like boarding when on vacation, which is priced at around $250 for seven days on average.
Pet-sitting is not much cheaper. Nationwide prices according to PangoVet are around $16 and $42 per visit, although these may vary depending on the area, and how much time the sitter spends with the pup.
@tandon_rebecca
The video quickly went viral on social media and it has so far received over 684,400 views and 120,000 likes on the platform.
One user, Mackenzie, commented: “I’m a dog sitter, and have sobbed after certain dogs left. I love them all so much.”
Looseseal2 said: “I’m watching this as I’m lying on the floor with the napping husky mix I’m pet sitting for. It’s my last few hours with him.”
Willene Theron added: “So I did this and then ended up getting two dogs 1 week after. They picked him up.”
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.
