Moment retirement home residents “light up” as tiny dog pays surprise visit

A tiny puppy paid a surprise visit to residents at a retirement home, resulting in laughter, cuddles and something more significant along the way.

Paquito Valentino, or Paco for short, has only been with his owner, Lydia Brennan, and her roommate, Casey, in the Merseyside region of the U.K. for a matter of weeks, but it’s already proven to be a match made in heaven.

“We both adore dogs, but weren’t planning on getting one at the moment,” Brennan told Newsweek. “Then when I was just browsing various puppy websites to get some ideas, I saw a picture of Paco and we both fell in love with him instantly. “

Brennan said they “instantly” knew he was the dog for them and were quick to put down a deposit and secure him as their own. Paco, who is still only 13-weeks-old, has wasted little time in getting settled into his new surroundings.

“His favorite thing is people, he just loves being close to people all the time, he loves cuddles, playing tug of war and playing with other dogs,” Brennan said. “He’s also starting to like his many outfits now too – he has an extensive wardrobe collection including hats, bandanas, animal costumes and sweaters.”

Paco’s love of people is clear to see in the video Brennan posted to his TikTok account, @paquitovalentino showcasing Paco’s recent surprise visit to a retirement home in South Manchester, which had at least one viewer “sobbing,” according to the comments section.

“Casey works as a carer in that home, and she had told some of the residents about him and they all wanted to meet him,” Brennan said. “I was just at home that day with the dog so we decided it would be a nice treat if I brought him in and let everyone have a cuddle with him.”

Upon arrival, Paco wasted little time in introducing himself to residents before taking in his new surroundings with gusto. “He went to lots of rooms and cuddled the residents, then spent a few hours in the common room with everyone,” Brennan said. “He also went for a walk around the gardens and then stayed there for the rest of the shift helping the carers look after the residents.”

Paco’s visit might have been adorable in itself, but there was something more significant about this tiny dog popping in to say hello.

Retirement age can be a lonely time for some. In a survey of 1,604 older adults conducted as part of a study by researchers from the University of California San Francisco, 43 percent of seniors reported feeling lonely in their day-to-day lives.

That was cause for concern, particularly as the same study found that loneliness carried with it a 59 per cent increased risk of declining health and 45 per cent increased risk of death. Dogs like Paco have been shown to make a difference when it comes to our emotional wellbeing.

A 2019 study published in the journal Animals saw a group of students facing the stress of exams put through an experiment where part of the group interacted with a dog for a set period of time.

As part of the test, they completed special surveys before and after to help assess their overall mood. Researchers found that those participants interacting with the dogs experienced a reduction in anxiety and boost to their overall mood.

Brennan saw first-hand the impact Paco had on the residents at the home. “They loved it. It was wonderful to see their faces light up with joy,” she said. But it was bigger than that: Paco helped them to open up.

“Some of the residents started showing me pictures of family weddings or husbands that had passed away,” Brennan said. “It was like Paco was a therapy dog and while they were cuddling him they felt able to open up. It was such a beautiful experience for all of us.”

Though Paco’s visit was intended originally as a one-off, the good news is that after their initial visit went so well, that’s changed. “They begged me to come back again with him so we will be visiting regularly so they can watch him grow,” she said.

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.