A senior dog’s birthday party has gone viral after his owner went all out with the celebrations. The theme of the party was tennis balls, his biggest obsession.
In a viral TikTok video shared on Thursday under the username @sampson_the_dood, the pup, Sampson, can be seen skipping around the yard as he opens his owner’s extravagant surprise.
Initially stunned by the giant tennis ball shaped piñata, Sampson pulls down the rope, releasing hundreds of bouncing tennis balls that send him into a joyful frenzy.
“He couldn’t believe the amount of balls! They just kept dropping!” the poster writes in the clip. “Happy 9th Birthday to the most ball-obsessed dood!”
Michele Miller from San Diego, California, told Newsweek that the annual tradition has become a highlight of Sampson’s birthdays, and she ensures that each year his parties are filled with his favorite toy.
“Sampson’s love for tennis balls is unmatched, so we’ve made it a tradition to celebrate his birthday with a piñata filled with 200 of them, blue and yellow, the colors dogs can see best,” she said.
Dogs have dichromatic vision, which means that they can only see two colors, blue and yellow, according to Pet MD. While they can see lots of different variations of these colors, they can’t see red and green well.
“This was our third year doing it, and his reaction never gets old. The joy on his face when the balls drop is something I’ll never forget, pure happiness!” Miller added.
“He pulls the string like it’s a game, over and over again, and when the balls pour out, he lights up. He’ll happily go back for more and play with every single ball like it’s the greatest gift in the world.”
Celebrating Samson’s birthday is a blessing for Miller, and she always tries to make him feel special, as a way of giving back a little of the joy he brings to her every day.
“Dogs don’t get nearly enough time on this earth, so we try to make every moment count. If it makes him happy, it’s worth it,” she said.
@sampson_the_dood
The video quickly went viral on social media and it has so far received over 6.9 million views and 778,600 likes on the platform.
One user, Abigail, said: “My dog sent me this and told me to step my game up.”
Tali’s Tiny Treasures wrote: “21st century dogs have no idea how lucky they are compared to their ancestors.”
Nickkigilman added: “This is the cutest thing ever. I love a spoiled dog!!!!”
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