It captures friendship at its finest.
In the now-viral clip, which has been viewed more than 5 million times, a dog is seen chewing through a leash in order to set free another pup who’s tied up alongside a house. And, fortunately, the liberator dog’s persistence pays off.
After the tether is cut, both dogs happily run off.
Some viewers have speculated that the tied-up dog was being saved by a stray from a life of perpetual confinement on a too-short leash — a noble act indeed. But the circumstances the pup was freed from aren’t nearly so grim.
Both dogs are actually the beloved pets of Gamaliel Santos Yañez and his girlfriend. Their names are Thayson and Boby.
Thayson wasn’t freeing Boby from neglect, but rather saving him from bath time.
“My girlfriend was just about to give Boby a bath,” Yañez told The Dodo. “The only time they’re on a leash is when we walk them or when we give them a bath. We use it so they don’t run and get dirty [while we’re washing them].”
It’s fairly common practice to leash dogs like this during bath time. Still, Thayson simply preferred Boby be available for him to play with.
He’s like that.
Though Thayson’s liberation of Boby did put bath time on hold, Yañez couldn’t help but appreciate the pup’s gesture for his companion.
“I was pretty amazed,” Yañez said. “After that, they went and played. They were very happy to be back together playing.”
Thankfully, when it comes time for walks, Thayson and Boby are more tolerant of leashes.
Since Yañez and his girlfriend adopted Thayson and Boby, the two pups have been pretty much inseparable — so perhaps it should come as no surprise that not even bath time can come between them.
“They spend all their time together,” Yañez said. “They are very good friends.”