In early 2020, couple Julie and Matt moved from Canada to London, taking with them their two rescue dogs, Betty and Bean, both Chihuahua mixes.
Julie was away from her parents for 18 months due to the pandemic, and the dogs, who also had a strong bond with them, missed them. But when travel restrictions were relaxed in both countries, Julie’s parents wasted no time in visiting them, and the dogs’ reaction to seeing them is heartwarming.
The reunion scene was recently shared on the pets’ TikTok profile ( @betty_and_bean ), winning the hearts of thousands of internet users.
In an interview with Newsweek , Julie said the dogs were rescued by animal control in Texas, United States. They are not siblings, but the rescue happened on the same day in different locations.
“Records show they were placed in the same kennel at a typical American dog shelter, where dogs are given just a few days to claim, then they are put down [euthanized].”
Before the worst could happen, an animal shelter with a branch in Canada intervened and sent them there. That’s where Julie met her little companions.
“We adopted them in December 2018. They had never had a forever family and were about 2 years old when we adopted them.”
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Then, in 2020, there was another big change in the pets’ lives: they went to London with their owners, but left behind someone they loved dearly: their “grandparents.” They were reunited in October 2021.
“Betty and Bean normally bark if someone they don’t know comes into the apartment. But as you can see in the video, they’re so excited, sniffing and running around—they must have recognized my parents’ scent,” Julie said.
Betty rolled on the floor with joy and even peed herself, she was so excited to see her grandparents. Bean, meanwhile, ran madly from the hallway to the apartment and back again.
Okay, but do dogs really remember people? According to the news portal Rover , dogs have associative memory, meaning they remember people, places, or experiences through associations.
One example is when an owner picks up their dog’s leash to go for a walk. Since the dog knows the leash is for walking, they get excited when they see the owner holding it, knowing they’re going for a walk.
The same happens with people, if they have good memories with that person, they will associate them with something positive.
Now, episodic memory (or memory of the past), they have very little, what helps them remember something or someone is smell, this sense helps the dog to recognize and “remember” you.
Seeing the pets’ reaction to their parents made Julie emotional!
“I felt joy, excitement, love, and sadness all at once! It was so incredible to see the love Betty and Bean had for their grandparents. And how, even though they had moved to this new place and hadn’t been able to see them for so long, they clearly remembered them and knew they were family,” she said.
Curious to see? Get your tissues ready in advance.
Beautiful to see, right? If you want to follow this duo on social media, click here .
