The love of a dog is unparalleled. Most of us who have had the honor of having a dog in our homes have known the infinitely deep well of love a dog has for their family. Dogs are much like humans when it comes to feeling emotions deeply as well, from happiness to sadness and everything in between. When a Schnauzer named Casey from Murrysville, Pennsylvania got to see her owner, Rachel, again after being separated for two years, she ended up collapsing out of pure happiness during the joyous reunion in this video from July 2014. Not to worry, though, she came back home with a clean bill of health and a heart full of love thanks to their reunion!
Families who have pets know that they are nothing less than another member who has all the rights to make decisions within the household. If animals could talk and communicate with us, their voice would certainly be considered when making important family decisions. Casey the Schnauzer would most likely have told her owner, Rebecca, that she wants her to stay home and not move so far away from her.
Rebecca Ehalt, who now goes by Rebecca Svetina, was offered a job abroad in Slovenia and had to move away from her home in Murrysville, Pennsylvania reports CNN. While she was very excited about the opportunity as anyone would be, she probably also knew that moving to Slovenia meant leaving her beloved 9-year-old family dog behind. Casey is one of 4 Schnauzers the Ehalt family has, reports Pittsburgh Post Gazette, so leaving behind all of them could have been quite emotional for Rebecca Svetina.
Speaking to CNN Rebecca Svetina said that while Casey is technically her parents’ dog, she is quite fond of family, and she is very energetic and loyal. She also said that she Facetime’s her parents often and speaks to Casey, but for dogs, it’s different when a person is present at home.
Rebecca stayed in Slovenia for two years without seeing her dog, nor did she come back home to Pennsylvania during that time. For Casey, however, it must have felt way longer as two years equal fourteen years in dog years, as Svetina writes in the Youtube video caption. Therefore, she was obviously very excited when Rebecca finally flew back into Pennsylvania in order to marry her husband in her hometown.
When she arrived back home, Rebecca couldn’t wait to see Casey who was more than thrilled to reunite with her beloved owner. Luckily for us, Rebecca’s family recorded the emotional moment Casey and Svetina finally saw each other again. Interestingly, the video was put on Youtube because the file was too big to be sent over email, reports Pittsburgh Post Gazette. Rebecca Svetina’s in-laws wanted to see the reunion with Casey, and the Ehalt family thought sharing over Youtube would be easier for everyone. It certainly made our heart swell with joy for Casey who could not contain herself, as it might have for other viewers as well. The family did not know that the video would become so popular, however.
In the video, Casey starts wagging her tail as soon as she spots Rebecca jumping up on her immediately to cover her in doggy kisses. Casey also isn’t barking but making high pitched sounds as seen in the video below. “She doesn’t bark, she squeaks just like a continuous squeak,” Miha Svetina, Rebecca’s husband, told WTAE as reported by ABC News.
Then the excitement suddenly becomes a little too much for Casey, and she wobbles a little bit first before she unexpectedly collapses on the ground and seems to be passed out. “Casey often squeals with excitement at seeing family members after an absence, but usually she stops after a minute, and she has never fainted before,” Mrs. Svetina’s father, Greg Ehalt, told Pittsburgh Post Gazette.
“We never expected her to pass out, but luckily she’s fine,” said Rebecca Svetina. The video, which was meant to be shared only for family went viral so quickly that no one could believe that the video touched so many people’s hearts. As of January 2021, the video has received more than 54 million views, which is commendable for sure!
To make sure Casey was okay, Rebecca took the dog to the vet right after the incident. Luckily the vet assured the family that the dog was fine and had probably been a little too excited about the reunion. “She didn’t seem to be any worse for the wear, her heartbeat seemed to be good,” Greg Ehalt said. “She was running a little fever, so maybe that combined with all the excitement caused it.”
“It’s so genuine. It’s so cute. There are so many things going on in the world. People are actually excited when they see something so nice and dogs are just awesome,” said Miha Svetina. While speaking about her time on CNN to Pittsburgh Post Gazette, Rebecca Svetina said, “I think with all the negative news you hear — all the news for half an hour in my ear piece was negative — I think such a heartwarming, happy story of homecoming, and a puppy, and people love dogs, that is one reason it went viral,” and added, “It’s a breather, a laugh, and if you show one funny, cute video at a coffee break, everyone feels better.”
Unfortunately, Casey the dog passed away in March of 2020, as per an update from Rebecca Svetina on the original Youtube video. Her comment reads,
“On Wednesday, March 25th we said goodbye to Casey 😢🐾❤️ #CaseyTheDog”
Along with this announcement, Rebecca Svetina also attached an emotional poem dedicated to Casey, which surely tugged at our heartstrings. The poem ends with the words, “Paw prints in our hearts, always by our side, fiercely loyal through thick and thin, a chapter in our life.” This is a sentiment most dog owners can relate to.
This update remains a highlighted comment even today, and it brought forth an outpouring of condolences from viewers who have grown to love Casey through their screens. It is no doubt that this dog had the power to touch millions of hearts just by being herself. Our thoughts are with Casey and her family.
Have you ever been separated from your pet? If so, how did your reunion go down? Let us know in the comments and be sure to pass this article along to all animal lovers in your life!
