More and more animals are getting abandoned with each passing day all around the world, and the numbers are increasing even faster due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The lockdown has had more than several people abandoning their pets, be it due to the fact that the owners have passed away or the fact that they couldn’t take care of them anymore because of some unfortunate circumstances.
However, not all such stories have sad endings. Recently, TikTok user Ashton Hart came to find out that his grandfather whom he hadn’t seen in 6 years had passed away from Covid-19. Ashton was shocked by the news, but was also concerned whether or not his grandfather had any pets that might’ve gotten left behind.
His gut feeling proved to be true as he found out that his grandfather indeed had a dog, and without thinking any further, Hart and his partner went over to get him. When they visited his grandfather’s house, they found an obese dog, now named Oat Milk Latte, who was scheduled to be put down due to the fact that he was left alone and had a lot of health complications.
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Meet Oat Milk Latte, a dog that was rescued from being put down by Ashton Hart and his husband
Image credits: repulsivelyflamboyant
Bored Panda reached out to Oat Milk Latte's owner Ashton with some questions. First, we asked him to tell us a little bit more about Oat Milk Latte's personality.
"Oat Milk is a very sweet dog. He has the most gentle temperament I’ve ever seen. When we took him to the groomer for the first time, they raved about how gentle and kind he was, and everyone who meets him falls in love with him. I don’t know how he got to be that way—my grandparents were abusive with their animals. Sometimes you just get lucky and get a sweet soul, I suppose."
Oat Milk Latte was Ashton’s grandfather’s dog, but since Hart’s grandfather passed away due to Covid-19, Ashton and his partner decided to adopt him instead
Image credits: repulsivelyflamboyant
Oat Milk Latte had a lot of health issues, so the dog was given a well-deserved bath, after that, they noticed that his fur was matted to the point where it had to be cut off
Image credits: repulsivelyflamboyant
We were also curious whether Ashton and his husband had any other pets besides Oat Milk.
"He isn’t the only pet we have, we also have a 3-legged tortie cat named Yakisoba, two rats (Biggie and Smalls), and a hamster named Pumpkin!"
It is true that Oat Milk was Ashton's grandfather's dog but we were also curious whether they had any other reasons to adopt Oat Milk.
"My husband has really been wanting a dog for a while now—but we had never met Oat Milk before going to pick him up, so we didn’t know anything about him. We were fully prepared to take him, rehabilitate him, and then put him in a different home if he wasn’t a good fit for us—but we won the lottery, and he’s the sweetest boy. He’ll be staying in our family for the rest of his life for sure! It’s no question."
Without waiting any longer, Ashton booked a grooming appointment for his dog, and the before and after results show a much happier and more mobile dog
Image credits: repulsivelyflamboyant
The poor dog was not only exhausted after all that happened, but also was grieving his precious owner
Image credits: repulsivelyflamboyant
We were also interested in whether Ashton and his husband had any interesting or funny stories to share regarding Oat Milk.
"Oat Milk is just getting settled, so he hasn’t had a chance to come out of his shell. My favorite thing is whenever we come home from being gone for a while—he greets us with the biggest smile and gets his tail super wiggling—his little butt goes like a motor! (Since his tail is cropped!) I have a video on my TikTok showing it!"
Oat Milk seems like a very sweet dog from the pictures and Ashton confirmed just that when we asked about his favorite thing when it came to Oat Milk.
"My favorite thing about him is how sweet he is. You can tell he’s been through a lot of trauma, and is in a lot of pain, but he still manages to be a bright and happy sweet boy no matter what. He’s always wanting to be around us, doesn’t have an aggressive bone in his body, and you can tell all he wants is to make you happy."
However, Ashton was sure that despite all of the complications, his grandfather had loved Oat Milk Latte dearly in his own way
Image credits: repulsivelyflamboyant
The married couple knows that the dog needs some time to adjust and settle into his new home, but they are willing to give him all the time he needs and more
Image credits: repulsivelyflamboyant
The story touched a lot of people's hearts so it's no wonder it went viral on the internet. We were interested about how Ashton felt about this whole thing personally.
"Honestly, it’s been a godsend. We live in poverty, and we live paycheck to paycheck (and even then we aren’t making ends meet). The extra cost of Oat Milk’s food and other necessary items was going to hit us hard, but people have donated to his vet bill fund and sent him things from Amazon.
He has all the supplies he could need for now, which is a HUGE relief. We have a vet appointment tomorrow, where we’ll finally be able to get him all checked out and figure out exactly what health care expenses we’re going to have. The amount of people who have supported us has been insane, and I feel like we’re going to be able to give him a level of care that wouldn’t have been available to him otherwise. Between his age (around 8-9), his weight (50 lbs over his max breed weight), and god knows what else—I feel like we finally are going to have the resources to get him what he needs and deserves, so that he can live out the remainder of his life the best he can."
So far, morning cuddles and exercise are becoming a norm in Oat Milk Latte’s life as he is getting pampered daily by his new owners
Image credits: repulsivelyflamboyant
Although Oat Milk Latte is still grieving his old owner, and even more so than he first let on, Ashton and his partner are willing to do their best to make the dog happy again
Image credits: repulsivelyflamboyant
Lastly, we wanted to know what Ashton wanted people to take away from this whole story.
"Get vaccinated from Covid-19 so that you don’t have to leave your pets to your distant relatives—because the unfortunate reality is that the vast majority of pets like Oat Milk don’t get a happy ending. We owe it to our pets, our friends, our family, and ourselves to take the necessary steps to keep ourselves safe.
Also, stop feeding your animals people food. Obesity in animals isn’t cute, it’s deadly. Oat Milk deserves better, and so do everyone else’s pets. Part of caring for them is giving them what’s best for them—not just the things they like."
Until that happens, they will try their best to help Oat Milk Latte as much as they can health-wise
Image credits: repulsivelyflamboyant
Ashton is also documenting Oat Milk Latte’s journey on his TikTok account, and it seems that every day, the dog is one step closer to adjusting to his new life
Image credits: repulsivelyflamboyant