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By Leonie Helm
Life Reporter
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A charming video of a senior man giving his neighbor's dogs treats over the garden fence has gone viral on TikTok, with more than 630,000 views.
In the clip posted by Kimberly Hanberry, she films her 94-year-old neighbor, whom she calls Mr. Bill, feeding her golden retriever's crackers. "He loves the boys, and the boys love him," Hanberry wrote. "He hasn't got to see them for the past two days because it's been pouring rain."
She added that, as soon as the sun came out that day, "he made sure to bring them some crackers as a treat...The world needs more Mr. Bills." The dogs can be seen loving the interaction, jumping up at the fence with wagging tails.
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Nothing quite beats the feeling of coming home after a hard day's work and being greeted by a enthusiastic pet. Interacting with animals has been shown to have a calming effect, lowering levels of the stress hormone cortisol as well as blood pressure. Other studies have shown that animals can reduce loneliness and boost your mood.
Dogs are very present and can bring you out of your own head and worries and into the now, usually through doing something goofy, but this effect isn't limited to dogs.
Rabbits can have a similar positive result, according to a study conducted by the University of Tel Aviv and published in the journal of Anxiety, Stress and Coping. In the study, a stressed-out group of adults was told to pet a real rabbit or turtle, or their stuffed-toy equivalents. Stroking the toys had no effect on the stress levels, but petting a live animal, whether it was furry or not, relieved anxiety. It worked regardless of whether people said they liked animals or not.
Even fish can have a productive effect on mood and help focus attention, having a positive effect on those suffering with Alzheimer's disease. A study, titled Animal-Assisted Therapy and Nutrition in Alzheimer's Disease, was published in the Western Journal of Nursing Research. It found that when patients at an Alzheimer's disease care facility ate in front of aquariums with brightly colored fish, they tended to eat more. The patients gained higher nutritional value from their food, and also paced around less. The study reported that they were also more attentive and less lethargic.
One TikTok user who called themselves Jessica Buchanan705 commented, "My grandfather! Thanks for sharing!!" to which the original poster replied, "We are so lucky and blessed to have moved right behind him and Ms. Jerl."
Newsweek has reached out to Kimberly Hanberry via TikTok for comment.
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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