We love our dogs, and they love us. That is why it’s always hard to leave them behind for extended periods of time. And one Army private knows that all too well, yet it created for a wonderful reunion when she finally came back.
21-year-old Hannah Foraker had to leave her elderly canine Buddy at their Ohio home in order to report for basic training at Fort Sill in Oklahoma.
As Foraker revealed to TODAY, it wasn’t just a shock for Buddy, but it was also a big change for her as well since she had a self-described “sheltered” upbringing in Cleveland.
Foraker works as a biomedical equipment specialist down in San Antonio, Texas. As she explained, “I have never been away from home before, so this was a huge deal for me.”
For Forarker, basic training was a very hard 10 weeks. It was the hardest thing she’d ever done in her life.
The way she described it, was, “It’s truly a character-building experience and makes you appreciate the little things in life.”
What made the experience that much harder was the fact that she had to be parted from her 13-year-old golden retriever. The two had been inseparable since she was a kid.
“It pulled at my heartstrings, to say goodbye, though having never actually left home before I didn’t realize the importance of giving proper goodbyes,” she explained.
When Foraker finally made it home for Christmas, it was a wonderful surprise for the elderly dog. Not to mention, it was equally as wonderful for Foraker to see Buddy again. The emotional moment was captured on video and posted to social media where it gained more than 1.7 million views.
Foraker said, “Buddy was so overwhelmed that she just collapsed in pure happiness. We were apart for [more than three] months, so the reunion was such a beautiful experience.”
You can watch the sweet reunion below:
