Deaf Dog's Family Documents Journey To Adopt Another Dog Like Him — 'Animals Need Companionship'

"Don't forget, your pets feel too." That's the message one dog-loving family is sending on TikTok with their videos about their sweet dog's journey with his best doggo friend next door. Their story is hitting people all over the internet right in the heartstrings.

A family on TikTok wants people to know that 'animals need companionship' just like the rest of us, and have documented their dog Poundcake's journey to find his new best doggy friend.

TikTokers James and Leah Coburn, who upload videos with the username @make.life.happen, have delighted people all over the world with the documentation of their life with their adorable dog Poundcake. Poundcake's sweet face and warm disposition are enough to melt your heart, but he's even more special than your average pup — he's also a deaf dog with special needs.

Poundcake formed a special bond with the dog across the street, named Dunkin. Perhaps they were destined for each other — what goes better together than poundcake and coffee, right? But unfortunately, Dunkin and his family moved away, and Poundcake's owners found him just as sad as any human would be at the loss.

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Poundcake's owners say he was 'crushed' by the loss of his best dog friend, and dog experts say canines mourn very similarly to the ways human do.

After Dunkin moved away, Poundcake's owners documented the dog's reaction, and it will feel familiar to any human being who's ever had a friend move away. (If you can get through this video without crying, there's definitely something wrong with you.)

The video shows Poundcake laying on the porch watching for Dunkin's return and waiting at a window, checking to see if Dunkin might have come back yet. In another clip, Poundcake starts to run up to a car that stopped in front of Dunkin's old house, thinking his bestie might be inside. 

"It broke our heart, he didn't understand," the couple wrote in on-screen text. Poundcake has made a few new friends since Dunkin left, meeting some new pals at the dog park and around the neighborhood. But even as he made his new puppy crew, his owners say that "he never forgot his best friend next door." 

Photo: TikTok

This isn't unique to just Poundcake. Dog experts say our canine friends really do mourn losses deeply — and not just when one of us humans passes away. They mourn their animal friends too, and even display symptoms of grief similar to humans, like sleep disturbances and appetite changes.

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Poundcake's owners finally decided to adopt another dog to be his buddy — and they chose one just as special as he is.

After a reunion between Poundcake and Dunkin in which the two dogs' joy at seeing each other again was palpable, his owners decided there was only one thing to do: get Poundcake a sibling.

"We were reminded that dogs need companionship," the couple wrote in their on-screen text. "Thousands of people reached out saying Poundcake should have a sibling." So they kept their ears and eyes open and soon heard about what sounds like the perfect partner for Poundcake. 

"We heard about a deaf pup being fostered in New York who hadn't been adopted after almost three years," the couple wrote. It's a problem that's far more common than some might think — a 2018 survey by Petfinder.com found that a third of rescues reported having "hard to adopt" pets that had been up for adoption for at least a year, and another 27% reported having pets that had been waiting more than two years for a "forever home." 

For Poundcake's owners, there was no question about what to do. "We drove all night," the couple wrote in their video, and at the end of their trip they'd brought home Poundcake's new sister Milkshake, another perfect accompaniment.

Photo: TikTok

And from the looks of the way the two canines run and jump around together in their owners' backyard, it looks like this has been the beginning of a beautiful friendship. May we all be so lucky to find the Milkshake to our Poundcake.

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John Sundholm is a news and entertainment writer who covers pop culture, social justice and human interest topics.