A family has shared the beautiful moment their daughter was surprised with a puppy for Christmas—after first thinking she was getting a stuffed animal.
Three years ago, New Hampshire realtor Cori Tessier and her husband Michael were having what she described to Newsweek as a "YOLO year," referencing the phrase "You Only Live Once."
Tessier's father had died unexpectedly, and the couple sought out "ways to have some joy in our family."
When Tessier's business partner, Kara, told her of a litter of Bernese mountain dog puppies in Kansas City, she and her Kansas City Chiefs fan husband, who had always wanted a Bernese, "took that as a sign."
The family already had 7-year-old golden retriever, Teddy, and as Tessier told Newsweek: "My husband and I were like, 'Yolo, let's get Teddy a brother."
They decided to keep the new family member a secret from their young daughter, Reagan, leading to an incredibly sweet video recently reshared to Tessier's TikTok account, @lakewinnipesaukeee, on December 19.
Boasting 4.5 million likes and captioned: "The best gift of all, 3 years with our little Major boy." It shows Reagan in her pyjamas, opening a special box under the tree.
And in that box is a stuffed toy—of a Bernese mountain dog. Reagan has an instant reaction, her face lighting up as she says the teddy bear is "so cute," and reads the teddy's collar revealing his name is Major.
As Reagan falls in love with the stuffie and shows it off to her parents, she has no idea a tiny, real-life Major is slowly making his way toward her—and she stops, frozen solid, as she finally spots him.
Major, tiny tail wagging furiously, instantly gets into her arms as she scoops him up and cuddles the puppy while her face tells of her complete shock. She then calls retriever Teddy over for a look.
"My daughter Reagan is an only child and loves her furry brothers," proud mom Tessier said.
She told Newsweek how they pulled off the surprise, explaining they picked up Major — named after the nearby hiking mountain Mount Major—and his sister, Winni, business partner Kara's puppy, named after Lake Winnipesaukee—at the airport and were able to hide Major overnight.
"I wrapped the stuffed animal and [in the video] Major came out perfectly on cue—and we have been in love ever since."
TikTok users were very moved by the video, viewed a whopping 34 million times, as one commenter shared: "My Christmas puppy that I got 16 years ago passed this month. I'm so grateful I got to spend so long with him."
Another praised Reagan's sweet reaction to both the teddy and the pup, writing: "We love grateful children. You can tell she's a good child!"
"The way she looked back for Teddy to make sure he felt included. What a sensitive, loving little lady," another said.
Gifting pets, particularly at Christmas, comes with its own challenges. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) says it is vital that those being gifted the animal, or their parents, be ready, willing and aware they will be getting the responsibility of owning a pet.
If getting an animal during the holiday season, the new owners should also be prepared to take the time to introduce and train the puppy amid the celebrations, the ASPCA warns.
And this was certainly the case for the Tessiers, who have now had Major for three years, with the tiny puppy now a full-grown Bernese, which can grow up to 27.5 inches at the shoulder and weigh 115 pounds.
"Teddy has been staying busy with Major and they get along beautifully," Tessier told Newsweek, saying she loved reading the "overwhelmingly positive and beautiful comments from so many people."
"They have loved that Teddy came over to check out the puppy and 'approved', that Major is a paid actor and knew right where to go, that he melted into her, her genuine shock when she saw the live puppy, the appreciation for simply the stuffed animal and that she checked on Teddy to make sure he was involved."
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.
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