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Brittani Wright never expected that singing to her dog would turn into a viral moment. Wright, of Marlton, New Jersey, adopted Roger, now 13 years old, three years ago from a Texas kill shelter after he had survived years of abuse, anxiety, and ongoing medication. She began serenading him as a way to help him settle into his new life, not thinking much of it beyond that.
One of those videos unexpectedly took off on TikTok. “I had no idea that it was viral for a bit. I was like, ‘why is everybody commenting on this song I put up a while ago?’ And here, I’m like, ‘oh my God,'” Wright said. The clip has since garnered 1.2 million views, far surpassing her usual posts documenting their day to day life together.
Wright said she hopes the attention does more than just entertain people, she wants it to highlight how overlooked senior dogs tend to be in shelters. “The message across is that adopting animals is just so wonderful,” she said. “But senior dogs happen to be very overlooked in shelters. These dogs need homes, and you’re literally saving someone’s life.” She continues sharing Roger’s story online, hoping it encourages more people to consider giving older pets a second chance.
My thoughts: There’s nothing complicated about why this video resonated, it’s just a woman singing quietly to a dog who spent years being treated badly before finally landing somewhere safe. What I appreciate is that Wright didn’t let the moment stay just a cute clip, she’s using the attention deliberately to make a point about senior dogs specifically, the ones that get passed over again and again in shelters simply for being older. Roger’s story is a good reminder that a dog’s best years don’t have to be behind him just because he’s not a puppy anymore.
Source: ABC7 New York
