In April, Katie Snyder temporarily relocated her dog Leia to her father’s house.
Leia appreciates not having to deal with her two canine brothers and having Snyder’s parents to herself. But you’d never guess it based on her actions.
“Leia is not your typical cuddling dog,” Snyder explained to The Dodo. “She’s incredibly self-sufficient and laid-back.”
“Leia loves all of her people in her own special way,” she 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 Leia was having a good time, but she had no idea how close the dog had become to her father until their bond was put to the test.
Snyder’s parents had just returned from celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary when her father’s cancer returned. Snyder’s mother was unable to accompany him to the hospital due to COVID-19.
Snyder’s mother arrived home alone, and it was clear that she wasn’t the only one who was distressed. Leia waited for her father to return home, head bowed, at the front door.
Snyder’s mother took a photo of the grieving dog and sent it to her daughter, saying, “When she gave me the image, I instantly burst into tears.” “It completely destroyed me,” Snyder admitted. “I could tell 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 her father’s absence affected her dog, Snyder has decided to make Leia’s living situation permanent.
“She is the true definition of a dog when it comes to loyalty,” Snyder said. “He is now her human.”
“My mother has become accustomed to having another female kiss him on the face,” she went on to explain.