A dog named Brindle has been in a gloomy mood and going through sadness for the past nine months. That’s because it’s been that long since he last saw his human companion, JD Aument, who is overseas serving as a firefighter in the Army Reserves.
With his best friend out of sight and a thousand miles away, Brindle couldn’t help but miss him terribly. Rachel Marie Aument, JD’s wife, couldn’t help but notice the sadness and change in Brindle’s behavior since her husband left.
“He’s so sad without him here,” Rachel told The Dodo. “He loves me, don’t get me wrong, but I’m not his person.”
JD adopted Brindle from a dog shelter a few years ago. From there, the pair developed an exceptionally close bond and became inseparable – that is, until JD had to be deployed last year.
JD’s absence wasn’t difficult just for Brindle, but also for their other dog Xander. However, the latter bonded with Rachel more, so it’s been easier for him to deal with the lack of one parent. Brindle, on the other hand, remained inconsolable.
The dog’s sadness was just unbearable for Rachel to see.
“He has days where he just sits at the front window, crying,” she said.
Brindle has obviously been looking for any sign of JD. He waited for him to come home each day, but he never did, and that left him heartbroken with every passing day.
JD missed his best friend back home, and he was certain that his pup was longing for him too. To help Brindle fight the sadness of missing him until he finally gets back home, JD sent a package in the mail carrying something that he believes would make Brindle very happy – his unwashed shirt bearing his scent.
Rachel decided to take a video (see below) of the moment Brindle received his dad’s gift, and without a doubt, he really loved it!
With his tail wagging, the dog is seen sniffing the shirt and rubbing his body against it. Brindle looked so happy to finally feel his best friend’s presence again after months of waiting.
“He immediately knew that it was JD’s shirt. There was no doubt about it. I was crying so hard while recording his reaction,” Rachel recalled.
Even though he wasn’t physically present, a part of JD was there with him, and Brindle couldn’t be any happier.
“He carried [the shirt] up to bed with him after the video and slept with it the rest of the day,” Rachel shared.
Brindle certainly didn’t mind carrying JD’s shirt everywhere, but Rachel thought of a better way for him to feel close to JD – she made him wear his shirt.
“I think he felt a little abandoned when JD left and the shirt helped reassure him that Dad still loves him and is coming back,” Rachel said.
The good news is that Brindle wouldn’t have to rely on the shirt for much longer, as JD will be home in about a month. Soon enough, he’ll get to cuddle his favorite human for real. That reunion is bound to be a blast for sure!
As it turns out, Brindle isn’t the only one who was touched by JD’s thoughtful gift.
“I miss JD so much and it was the first time any of us had smelled him in almost 10 months,” Rached admitted. “I had to take a minute with the shirt for myself before I could share with Brindle.”
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