Couple who lost their baby at 9 months introduced her to their dog through her beanie — and the pet brought her favorite squeaky toy
Love and grief often find their way through the most unexpected gestures, sometimes even without words. A dog mom, Shelby Susnick, shared a heartbreaking moment with her dog, Russell, after she lost her baby girl at 37 weeks. In a video posted on November 18, 2025, Susnick (@booplethesnoot) introduced their dog to the baby they lost, showing him a beanie that belonged to their daughter. But Russell's next move made the couple realize that he understood them. The clip has received over 930,000 views.
“Russell knows his baby sister, never thought a squeaker would bring me to tears,” read the caption of the video. Susnick and her husband were seen sitting together on a sofa with their dog, “Russ.” They were expecting a baby girl, Mia, but tragically lost her at 37 weeks of pregnancy. The video captured the couple holding a small pink beanie, something their daughter had worn. The dog mom called Russell to introduce Mia, “Come here, Russ. Come here, Russie. Come here.” As Russell approached, the woman explained, “This is your sister, Mia's. She wore this.” The dog consoled the couple as they mentioned, “He’s trying to comfort us.”
A few seconds later, Russell did something that left the couple visibly emotional. He reached for a red squeaky toy, the one he used to gently hold against Susnick's belly and squeeze when she was pregnant. Her husband reacted in disbelief, “That’s right. That’s Mia. Good job. You remember.” Russell recognized the familiar item and associated it with the baby he had sensed during the pregnancy. “That’s so sweet,” the father remarked while Susnick added emotionally, “He knew exactly what to do.”
The quiet exchange, filled with pauses, soft voices, and tears, struck a chord with thousands of viewers. “This just hit me deep in the feels! I’m keeping y'all in my prayers,” expressed @sasharenee13. @ruetotherescue commented, “Dogs are pure magic. I know Russell will be such a healing force for you all.” @whiskeytoller wrote, “Crying. How special that you gave him this moment, too. Sending so much love.” Meanwhile, @isabella.revilla penned, "Dogs know. They know us more than we do. I bet Russell plays with sweet Mia in his dreams, always with that toy."
Dogs are highly sensitive to emotional changes around them. According to a study published in Frontiers, they are capable of absorbing and mirroring their owner's emotional distress through a process called emotional contagion. The research found that canines showed measurable behavioral and physiological changes when exposed to human sadness or stress. It suggested that dogs emotionally resonate with their owners' emotions. Another study found in the National Library of Medicine explained that dogs can also differentiate between genuine and acted human emotions, responding differently when their owners display real sadness.
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