A touching story of love, loss and fate has gone viral after a woman shared how she believes her late family dog sent them a new companion. The emotional journey has garnered 3.3 million views on Instagram, moving people around the world.
In the video, content creator Lindsay Bartelt, 36, of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, lies beside her senior dog, Reba, who was 11 at the time. The text on the screen reads, “Please don’t leave me sweet girl. Who will look over your brother when he is born in two months?”
A response from Reba’s point of view follows: “It may be my time to go, but I promise I know who to send you.” Sadly, Reba died nearly two years ago because of internal bleeding.
Bartelt told Newsweek that fate intervened just five days after Reba’s death, when a new dog, Tilly, entered their lives. In July, the story went viral, amassing almost 300,000 likes on her Instagram page, @simplyseptemberblog.
Two screenshots from a video show Lindsay Bartelt with her senior dog Reba, who later died. Days later, Tilly, right, arrived.
Lindsay Bartelt/Instagram/@simplyseptemberblog
Reba wasn’t just any dog—she was Bartelt’s “soul dog.” Reba had been with the family for every significant life event, including their wedding, moving into their first home and the birth of their three children.
“She was a comfort like no other,” Bartelt told Newsweek. “She was so gentle with our children, so protective and so loyal.”
She continued: “It may sound weird to those who aren’t dog people to say your dog is your best friend, but Reba was mine.”
As Reba got older, Bartelt began following animal rescue pages but thought the family wouldn’t qualify to adopt, given their young children. Then, just days after Reba’s passing, while Bartelt and her husband were grieving on their porch, a Facebook post stopped her in her tracks. It was an urgent plea for a home for a golden retriever and Saint Bernard mix who was said to be amazing with children.
“The look in Tilly’s eyes in the picture, it was as if we felt an instant connection. I just knew she was meant for us,” Bartelt said.
Although she was initially believed to be the mix of a golden retriever and a Saint Bernard, DNA testing later revealed that Tilly is a blend of a basset hound, Australian shepherd and other breeds. At around 4 years old, she was found abandoned in Kentucky after her previous owner refused to take her back, leaving her in a shelter until she was adopted.
“Tilly fit into our family in a way I can only describe as ‘meant to be,'” Bartelt said. From the moment she arrived, Tilly bonded with the children: Elin, now 10; Lucie, 8; and Willem, 2, who was a newborn at the time.
“We say that Reba gave her strict guardian instructions to take over where she left off. When it storms, Tilly will alert us by standing outside the kids’ rooms at night and protecting them,” Bartelt said.
The family jokes that she’s their Lassie—fiercely loyal and deeply connected.
“Tilly will never replace Reba, but she doesn’t need to,” Bartelt said. “Tilly is her very own dog, and we are blessed beyond measure that she joined our family. As cliché as it sounds, we may have rescued her, but she rescued us right back.”
The heartwarming story has brought many to tears, with people flooding the comments to send their condolences.
One user said: “I can’t imagine being pregnant for all of this. So glad Tilly came to heal you. Also Reba is such an adorable name for a dog lol, still taking care of her baby brother from beyond the grave. Finding a rescue this gentle is nothing but fate.”
Another user wrote: “I’m so sorry you had to say goodbye to your pup before your kiddo was born – but so happy she blessed you with another pup to be there for your baby when she couldn’t.”
A third user added: “Reba sent Tilly to fill the space in your broken hearts. She just needed a couple of days to train her.”
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
