Watch Woman’s Reunion With Dog After 2 Months of Treatment: ‘Never Forget’

Social media users were left in tears by the emotional reunion between a woman and her dog, who spent months apart while she was being treated for her mental health.
Andrea Tamasi, 28, had anxiety and depression for years before being admitted to a residential treatment center in 2022.
The help she received there assisted her in turning a corner, Tamasi said, and she now shares her story to help others. “I still have my battles, but now I have the coping skills to work through the hard days and persevere,” she told Newsweek.
While Tamasi received treatment, her parents took in her beloved dog, Scooby, for two months.
“We have a really deep connection, and he’s so in tune to my emotions,” she said. “It was so hard to be away from him, so this reunion was everything and more to me.”
The moment Tamasi and Scooby reunited was captured on camera, and the clip, which she posted on July 26 under the handle @andrea_tamasi, has gone viral on TikTok.
In the video, which has racked up more than 256,000 likes, Scooby rushes out of a garage howling, barking and wagging his tail furiously, before rushing to Tamasi and whimpering, laying on the ground and exposing his belly.
Tamasi, who is on her knees on the grass, is close to tears as she cuddles her pet, scoping Scooby up into her arms as he showers her with kisses.
She captioned the clip, “I will never forget this day.”
The video has resonated with viewers, with one commenting: “He missed his mama. I hope you’re doing well.”
“He had to cuss you out first for leaving him,” another added. “Then give you all the love. Hope you are better and continue to be better everyday.”
“There’s nothing like the way a dog loves you,” a user said. “Nothing.”
Another commented, “Thank you for showing me it’s possible.”
Tamasi, from Massachusetts, told Newsweek that Scooby, a black mouth cur and hound mix she adopted in 2018 from the Boulder Humane Society, was her “absolute best friend.”
According to the Mental Health Foundation, owning a pet can benefit a person’s mental health for myriad reasons, including increasing their physical activity, providing companionship, reducing anxiety and boosting self-confidence.
Like physical illnesses, mental illnesses often require professional medical treatment. A 2023 study from Mental Health America found that 21 percent of adults in the U.S. experience a mental illness, or more than 50 million Americans. However, 55 percent of adults with a mental illness, or more than 28 million people, receive no treatment. Many reported they did not receive care as they could not afford it.
After being diagnosed with anxiety and depression in 2016, Tamasi’s parents helped get her a bed at a residential treatment center in Ohio after an episode in 2022 led her to struggle with suicidal ideation and she was unable to get out of bed.
Now working in administration and social media, Tamasi regularly shares content about mental health, and she has shared her story on TikTok and Instagram.
She said: “When I was deeply struggling, I truly never thought there would be a way out or that I would feel better. Now that I’m on the other side of it, I really feel a passion toward sharing my story so others can know that there can be an end to the everyday struggle.”
Anyone seeking help for their mental health can call the National Alliance on Mental Illness: 1-800-950-6264 or text “NAMI” to 741741.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to [email protected] with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.