Family dog yawned while sniffing her late daughter’s clothes—when the mother realized why, her heart broke all over again
For people mourning, even the smallest reminders of our loved ones can be overwhelming. It is not just humans who feel that loss—sometimes, animals do too. Recently, Lauren Taylor from Las Vegas shared a heartbreaking moment that captured how grief can be felt by pets as well. In the video, Bella, the family dog, was seen sniffing her late daughter, Ariana’s belongings. While going through the box, the Maltese and Yorkshire terrier mix gently sniffed through the items and yawned, which Taylor identified as a stress yawn. The Instagram video, posted by Ariana Rye Foundation (@arianaryefoundation) on December 30, 2025, crossed 369,000 views.
Taylor, who is also a mom to a 4-year-old daughter, Kyra, and a 4-month-old son, Callan James, opened the box to smell the belongings of Ariana. Talking to Newsweek, Taylor expressed, “I thought it was only fair to give Bella the same opportunity.” Ariana was suffering from Cerebral Palsy. Taylor described Ariana as a child defined by determination. She shared that despite her medical condition, Ariana was an alert and observant child. She used to deeply engage with her surroundings. She loved swimming, planetariums, train rides, sushi, and dairy-free ice cream. She also enjoyed dancing with her parents, oceans, and parties.
Ariana and her family were on a vacation in Florida when she unexpectedly passed away. When they came back to Nevada, Taylor was unpacking her belongings to keep them in a box, hoping to find something new that she might have missed earlier. The 39-year-old shared that Ariana had been sick on her blanket and pillow. She said that she woke up early in the morning to wash everything, including the bedsheet. She wanted the room to be spotless for her return, but tragically, she never returned. “I regret washing everything. I wish I had taken a picture of her room exactly as it was before we left. Because I’ve been in there so many times since—rearranging, adding things, changing things,” Taylor shared in the caption of the video.
“She misses her best friend and sister,” Taylor said, explaining that now Bella spends most of her time lying on her bed. “Smell has such a strong sense of memory,” she said. She explained that at home, the pet learned to recognize her belongings, and when the pet went through the stuff, she paused and yawned. Taylor realized that it was a stress yawn. Taylor shared another video of Bella lying on Ariana’s bed. Bella and Ariana were like best friends, as she never snapped at her. “Bella would also bark at people if they were to get too close to Ari,” she said.
According to an article by Barkbus, dogs yawn to calm themselves when they are stressed. The behavior is known as a "calming signal." In another study by PetMD, a certified animal health and behavior expert, Erin Askeland, shared that while yawning expresses exhaustion, it also expresses emotions, stress, and submission.
The viewers offered support and sympathy. “I’m so sorry for your loss. It’s touching that you allow Bella to be part of the grieving process with you,” wrote @mr._muffles_sugarbash. @swarm_of_unknown commented, “Thank you for including her. Dogs and cats can and will often grieve and even exhibit stress and confusion if someone in their immediate circle passes.” @kathydenisebaker remarked, "She remembers your daughter."
You can follow @arianaryefoundation on Instagram for more videos.
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