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By Alyce Collins
Senior Reporter
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A man who fell in love with his daughter’s foster dog has delighted the internet after permanently adopting the senior rescue, and their precious bond continues to melt hearts.
In June 2023, Esmi Thomas of Fort Worth, Texas, took in a senior dog named Mr. Chewy who was in need of a home. His owner had passed away, and although he went to the sister’s home initially, it didn’t quite work out.
Thomas, 39, told Newsweek that the sister’s cats “bullied him” and he couldn’t settle. Nonetheless, it was important for Chewy to live out his golden years in a happy and comfortable home, so he was put up for adoption.
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It was such a delight for Thomas to give Chewy a temporary home and see him thrive. He certainly made an impact on her, but even more so on her dad, Jimmy Martinez. Martinez instantly loved Chewy and was happy to spend time with him whenever he got the opportunity.
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“My dad has always had a huge heart for animals,” Thomas said. “When Chewy first came to stay with me, I sent my dad videos of him (like I had in the past with previous fosters). He kept saying how he was such a neat little guy, and that he really hoped he found a good home.”
Several months later, Thomas needed someone to look after Chewy while she was out of town. Martinez gladly offered to help for the weekend, which swiftly morphed into a full week and that became a month.
Martinez couldn’t get enough of his time with Chewy, and from then, he officially adopted the senior dog.
“I grew up with my dad cherishing animals my whole life, and I knew that Mr. Chewy would be spoiled by him. I was really excited that Mr. Chewy and my dad had such a great connection. Now, they’re two little old men living their best lives. My dad frequently sends me videos narrating what Mr. Chewy and him are doing, they go shopping together and have matching Johnny Cash shirts,” Thomas said.
While Thomas was once the one sending videos of Chewy to Martinez, the tables have now turned as he now sends regular clips of the 16-year-old dog to Thomas. She shared one of his adorable videos on TikTok (@heyspoonies) and it’s melted hearts across the internet.
Since the video was posted online in December, it has gone viral with over 809,000 views and more than 146,300 likes at the time of writing. The caption alongside the video reads, “Mr. Chewy is my dad’s best friend.”
Just like Thomas, the internet absolutely adores the bond between Martinez and Chewy. The duo makes each other so happy and are thriving in each other’s company. As a result, Thomas has continued to share more adorable videos of the duo together on social media, much to the delight of viewers.
“I absolutely love the videos of my dad and Mr. Chewy,” Thomas told Newsweek. “I love seeing how happy Mr. Chewy makes my dad, and how spoiled he is in my dad’s care. Lots of people have mentioned how wholesome their relationship is, and how adorable the two of them are together.”
Since the clip went viral, hundreds of TikTok users took to the comments to share their reactions. This has led to more than 950 comments on the post at the time of writing.
One comment reads: “Mr. Chewy hit the jackpot.”
Another TikTok user wrote: “OMG, your dad is a earth angel.”
While another person responded: “I mean he's living at grandpa's but for all of time! It's like a full-time life holiday with endless treats.”
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? We want to see the best ones! Send them in to life@newsweek.com and they could appear on our site.
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