A woman who was feeling anxious about flying was unexpectedly helped by a fellow passenger with four legs and a wagging tail.
Social media user Sophie shared a video on TikTok (@sophie444.jpg) from the moment she was experiencing “the worst flight anxiety,” only to be surprised by who came to her aid. It wasn’t anyone she was traveling with, or even a flight attendant, but rather, a service dog.
During the clip, the dog can be seen peeking its head through the gap in the chairs, as though offering Sophie support. It was such a sweet moment for Sophie, who joked on TikTok that it’s like “he could sense” something was wrong with her.
Perhaps the dog was trying to help, or else just being nosey about who else was traveling on the flight. Either way, internet users can’t get enough of his antics, and the video has gone viral on TikTok with over 1 million views and 293,300 likes at the time of writing.
Newsweek has contacted @sophie444.jpg via TikTok for comment. We could not verify the details of the video.
Service dogs are trained to do work or perform specific tasks that benefit their handler with a disability, including physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual or a mental disability. The Americans with Disabilities Act outlines that service dogs may be trained to retrieve objects, to remind their handler to take medication, to alert them to an oncoming panic attack, or to detect the onset of a seizure.
Service animals can accompany their handler during travel, usually by sitting in the space under the seat in front. If the animal is small enough and it’s safe to do so, it may sit on their owner’s lap.
Many researchers have drawn a link between interacting with pets and decreased anxiety or stress. A 2021 study conducted by researchers at the Medical University of Warsaw showed that the presence of a dog can have a beneficial influence on anxiety levels among depressed and anxious patients, and therefore animal assisted activities could be used as additional treatment for certain disorders.
Needless to say, Sophie was incredibly grateful for “this lil’ angel” who offered her comfort during the flight.
Since the video went viral, TikTok users have praised the dog’s attempts to help. This has led to more than 1,800 comments on the video in just a matter of days.
One comment reads: “he sensed some emotional turbulence and said ‘not on my watch.’”
Another TikTok user wrote: “I would pay double for this.”
Another person added: “Smells like my services are required back here.”
While one commenter joked: “turned economy class into first class real quick.”
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? We want to see the best ones! Send them in to life@newsweek.com and they could appear on our site.
