Tissue Alert! Watch a Senior Golden Retriever Reunite with Her Soldier Dog Mom

There’s nothing quite as touching as videos of soldiers reuniting with the beloved dogs they had to leave at home — especially when the dog is a senior who had never before been separated from her pet parent.

That was the case for a 13-year-old, arthritic and partially deaf Golden Retriever named Buddy. Her dog mom, 21-year-old Hannah Foraker, had Buddy ever since she was a puppy, and had never been away from her home in Cleveland when she joined the Army last year.

After a three-month separation, Foraker was able to return home for two weeks at Christmastime. A video of her reunion with Buddy she posted on YouTube in late February is now going viral.

“Buddy came running, as best as she could, out of the house and said hello to everyone,” Foraker told FOX 8. “At first she didn’t even realize I was there, but she did a double take and came bounding over to me, whining nonstop in pure glee.”

While Foraker was away at Fort Sam Houston in Texas, she tried to communicate with Buddy using Skype.

“She doesn’t understand that her mommy is on the other side of the screen, but she can hear me (with the volume all the way up) and always perks her ears and starts wagging her tail,” Foraker told FOX 8.

Foraker said Buddy never left her side during her visit in December. She just wishes she’d taken more photos.

“I’ve just recently been informed that I won’t be able to go home again until next Christmas,” she told FOX 8. “A lot can happen in a year, but Buddy is a fighter.”

Here’s hoping their reunion next December will result in another viral video.

Grab a tissue — heck, grab the whole box — and enjoy Buddy and Foraker’s happy reunion.

Photo via YouTube