A pet owner has been melting hearts with an adorable video showing how she likes to pamper her senior chihuahua.
Chelsea Roocke from Bellmore, New York, took to TikTok to share footage of the way she caters to her "spoiled" 18-year-old dog Sparky's every need. She makes no apologies for going all out for their beloved dog, given everything they have gone through together.
"Our life revolves around Sparky," Roocke told Newsweek. "We even got married on his 18th birthday so he could be our 'legal witness.'" In the video, Sparky can be seen relaxing on a heated pad alongside a bowl of his "favorite organic foods." A mister filled with water is positioned nearby, while Roocke is there to provide "walkies through the night."
"He has a couple of health things going on so we try to make him as comfortable as possible," Roocke said. "His blood work is excellent and he's got a very strong heart, but he has a cough so our vet recommended getting a humidifier. We also were experimenting if he liked being warm or cold. Turns out he likes cold air but wants to be warm and snuggly. The heating pad just adds a little extra comfort and security."
Roocke is not alone in showing a willingness to go the extra mile. In 2020, a survey of 500 U.S. pet owners conducted by RestoraPet found 61 percent of respondents spent the same or more on their pets' wellness compared to their own.
However, she and Charles have more reason than most to want to pamper Sparky given his status in the family. Sparky came into her husband's life when he was 13.
"Charles went with his parents to get a dog for his little sister when Sparky, who was one of about 20 puppies, came bounding out towards him," Roocke said. "Charles instantly felt a connection and told his parents: 'I'll pay for him with my own money.'"
Roocke met Sparky when he was 8 and quickly developed a close bond.
"He became my little boy as well," she said.
Sparky is especially close to Charles, though.
"Unfortunately Charles' mom passed away when he was 16," she said. "I always wanted to meet her, and Sparky holds memories of her that I'll never have. Sparky is more than just "our little boy," he's a vestige of his mom and his childhood."
Charles has been part of everything they do together.
"He loved going camping, hiking and we actually took him on a road trip when he was 14 to the Grand Canyon," Roocke said. "He loves going to the beach, and he absolutely loves sunbathing."
However, a year ago they came scarily close to losing him when Sparky suffered a stroke that left him completely paralyzed from the neck down.
"We were told that he would never walk again and to think of his 'quality of life,' so we were preparing to say goodbye to him," Roocke said. "I can't even describe the overwhelming sadness that we felt."
But the very next day, something extraordinary happened.
"Sparky started moving his legs and began lifting his head," Roocke said. "He was telling us and showing us that he wasn't ready to let go just yet, so for the next six weeks we started him on a strict regimen of massaging, stretching, exercising and rehabilitation. After two weeks he started walking again and after six weeks he was walking even better than before."
He's now happy and healthy, living his best possible life thanks in no small part to the efforts of his human companions. Roocke has been heartened by the response to her video of Sparky's setup after she posted it to TikTok under the handle chelseabarbara0. The clip has been watched 1 million times, with viewers weighing in with comments like: "Thank you for taking such good care of him. Gives me faith in humanity to see this much love."
Roocke has been blown away by the reaction.
"We're honestly just so grateful for the overwhelming positive response," she said. "I believe it went viral because more than ever people really love their animals and want to do right by them."
She makes no apologies about spoiling Sparky, either, and would encourage others to do the same.
"Every animal deserves to be cherished," she said. "They may be here for a short while in our lives, but to them, we're their whole world. We have a responsibility and duty to make sure we treat them like one of the family."
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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