A dog whimpered as the cow who raised him was led away to a new farm, and the farmer who bought her reportedly couldn’t go through with it

A viral video showing a dog named Ruki reuniting with the cow that raised him has drawn widespread attention after surfacing on Reddit. According to the Instagram account wildb.itz, which posted the original footage, Ruki lost his mother as a young puppy.

As detailed by The Daily Dot, two cows living in the same home stepped in to help raise him, and one formed an especially close bond with the dog. The two reportedly spent about two years eating, sleeping, and staying by each other’s side.

The cow was eventually sold after the owner faced financial hardship, according to the account. Ruki reportedly began howling, stopped eating, and searched for his companion before tracking her scent to the farm where she had been taken.

The farmer who bought her had a change of heart

The video shows the dog whimpering as the cow is first led away. After seeing how upset Ruki had become, the farmer who purchased the cow reportedly agreed to bring her back to her original home.

The reunion footage shows Ruki wagging his tail as the cow licks him, while the owner and others cheer for the pair. According to the account, the two have remained close since and continue to spend much of their time together.

One commenter wrote, “Wow man, I can see the joy in dog’s eyes. Amazing story, thanks OP.” Another said, “I’d be depressed too if the owners hadn’t bought him back.”

A third Redditor raised a broader question about other farm animals, noting that cows raised for beef may also form friendships that are disrupted. The video spread amid another viral account from a woman whose date kept mentioning his ex.

Research published in Scientific Reports in February 2022 looked at how domestic dogs react to losing a companion. The study of 426 dog owners found that dogs often play less, eat less, or become more fearful after losing a housemate, with reactions linked to the quality of the relationship between the two animals.

Attack of the Fanboy was unable to independently verify the events in the video, including the country where it took place, the identities of those involved, or the circumstances of the cow’s sale and return.