The story of a dog named Baylee with heartworm disease, who was adopted by the nurse who saved him, has left the internet in tears after a video of his healing journey went viral.
The footage, shared on TikTok in November by the dog's current owner, under the username Torimarkle, shows a sequence of pictures and clips of the golden retriever with his new mom, who spoils him and gives him all the love he needs.
Heartworm disease, or dirofilariasis, is a serious and potentially fatal disease, caused by a blood-borne parasite known as Dirofilaria immitis.
According to VCA Animal Hospitals, a U.S. network of hometown hospitals, adult heartworms are found in the heart, pulmonary artery, and adjacent large blood vessels of infected dogs, and rarely in other parts of the circulatory system.
Adult heartworms may live up to five years, and during this time, females produce millions of offspring called microfilaria.
Transmission requires a mosquito as an intermediate host, so the disease is not spread directly from dog to dog. It coincides with mosquito season, which can last year-round in many parts of the United States.
The TikTok video of Baylee comes with a caption that explains: "If you ever wonder what happened to me after you dropped me off at the vet to be euthanized. My nurse took me home that night. I met my aunt daisy. I get to sleep with mom every night, mom put me through heartworm treatment.
"We took Christmas card pics, we play ball whenever I want. We've celebrated my birthday 5 times since then. Me and my mom have matching beauty marks. My heartworm treatment worked! We take the best naps together. Thank you for allowing my mum to give me the life I deserve."
The video quickly attracted dog lovers from all over TikTok, receiving more than 7.8 million views and 1.2 million likes so far.
One user, El Gato, commented: "This made me tear up. You can see the happiness in the eyes." And Gloria posted: "I have tears in my eyes seriously. Sweet angel."
Stacey wrote: "I remember when I worked vetmed someone brought in a cat that put k9 flea meds on her she came on seizing and they wanted to euthanize. I took her." TikToker KerriLynneWest commented: "Thank you for saving this sweet soul."
SheCallsMeSparkles added: "I was expecting to cry but for a totally different reason! Thank you for taking this dog home!"
Newsweek reached out to Torimarkle for comment. We could not verify the details of the case.
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.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Maria Azzurra Volpe is a Newsweek Lifestyle Reporter based in London. Her focus is reporting on lifestyle and trends-related stories, ... Read more
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