It’s always wonderful to see the moment a dog and their soldier reunite. It’s always touching to see how the dog responds. Sometimes, a dog immediately jumps for joy. Other times, it takes a dog a moment to recognize their person and get excited. But either way, it’s truly adorable.
The video of Emma the dog meeting up with her dad is no exception.
The Swansons are a loving family who has opened their home up to numerous dogs.
One day, they decided to add one more dog to their home: a special needs pit bull named Emma.
Emma has a birth defect called Polyradiculitis, which she got from a toxoplasmosis infection in utero. This disease causes inflammation in the dog’s nerves and muscle contractions. The disease has also paralyzed Emma’s back legs. Most puppies with this disease die soon after birth.
But miraculously, Emma survived and thrived.
Emma loves her family, but she’s especially close with her dad, who is a U.S. Air Force Officer.
When he was deployed for six months, both Emma and her dad were devastated to say goodbye. When his six-month deployment was up, Emma’s dad returned home. Melissa Swanson, the Airman’s wife, shot a video of the moment that the loving father was reunited with his dogs.
Grab some tissues before you watch—you’re going to need them!
Emma’s siblings ran over to their dad, jumping on him and crying with joy. Emma crawled across the floor, unable to contain her excitement. Her dad picked her up and held her tightly as her face lit up with pure joy.
In the video description, Swanson answered a question many viewers had: why didn’t Emma use a wheelchair?
She wrote:
Emma has had several wheelchairs. Unfortunately, she refuses to use any of them. We have had custom ones made even. We have worked with the companies to teach her to use it, but she will have nothing to do with it or with a “drag bag” or harness.
She’s always been this way. Emma has no idea she’s “special”. She loves life and runs and plays well on her own outdoors. She just has a little trouble on the tile indoors. We do have rugs layed out for her all over the house, but we did not have any in this hallway at the time. That’s why you see her hopping to him.
Emma is a sweet dog who loves her family and doesn’t let anything get her down. She’s also a daddy’s girl through and through! Their relationship is so sweet.
This reunion is so adorable, and we’re so glad Melissa shared it with all of us. This video is sure to bring a smile to your face.
Check it out below!
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