In April, Katie Snyder temporarily moved her dog Leia into her father’s house.
Leia appreciates not having to deal with her two canine siblings and having Snyder’s parents to herself. But you’d never guess it based on his actions.
“Leia is not your typical hugging dog,” Snyder explained to The Dodo. She “she is incredibly self-sufficient and relaxed.”
“Leia loves all her people in her own special way,” he went on to say. “Whether it’s lying next to you during movie night or waiting outside the bathroom door for you to finish.”
Snyder could tell that Leia was having a good time, but had no idea how close the dog had become to her father until their bond was tested.
Snyder’s parents had just returned from celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary when his father’s cancer returned. Snyder’s mother was unable to accompany him to the hospital due to COVID-19.
Snyder’s mother came home alone, and it was clear she wasn’t the only one who was distraught. Leia waited for her father to return home, head bowed, at the front door.
Snyder’s mother took a photo of the distressed dog and sent it to her daughter, saying, “When she gave me the picture, I instantly burst into tears.” “It completely destroyed me,” Snyder admitted. “I realized how much [Leia] sincerely loved my father and how much she missed him.”
Snyder and Leia were overjoyed when Snyder’s father returned home the next day.
After witnessing how much his father’s absence affected his dog, Snyder decided to make Leia’s living situation permanent.
