Dad's Way of Keeping His Dogs Comfortable at Restaurant Applauded

We all love going above and beyond for our furry friends and would do anything to make them comfortable.

One dog owner has taken caring for his dogs to a new level by bringing their large dog bed into a restaurant with them. In a TikTok video posted by @ladyspinedoc, whose profile says she is a neurosurgeon, she writes, "When your husband cares more about the comfort of the fur babies than anyone else and brings the dog."

The two vizsla dogs, Pancake, 11, and Butters, 2 can be seen enjoying themselves while lying on their bed in the restaurant. "I didn't get a pillow," reads the caption.

"We visited a new restaurant in town that has a dog-friendly patio," the dogs' owner Betsy Grunch, a neurosurgeon, 43, from Gainesville, Georgia, told Newsweek. "My husband loves our dogs so much and whenever he can bring them along, he will. And of course that means making sure they are comfortable when they get there, too, so he brought along their bed."

Dog ownership in the United States has increased significantly over decades. "As of 2023, 66 percent of U.S. households (86.9 million homes) own a pet," says Forbes Advisor. "That's up from 56 percent in 1988, pet ownership statistics show. From companionship to emotional support, pets are a vital part of their owners' lives. In fact, 85 percent of dog owners and 76 percent of cat owners consider their pets to be a member of the family."

"We often take them on vacation as well," said Grunch. "They get a lot of delicious treats, can sleep in bed with us, and are often carried around like babies even though they are 60+ pounds."

Americans spent $136.8 billion on their pets in 2022, according to Forbes Advisor, up 10.68 percent from 2021, and dog owners spend an average of $730 a year on their dogs. One of the biggest expenses for dog owners is veterinary care, with an average cost of $367 per year. Second was food, $339 per year, then grooming, at $99 per year.

Despite the joy of owning a dog, 54 percent of dog owners had regrets about getting a dog. "Dog owners cited cleaning up after a dog as the biggest challenge associated with dog ownership (27 percent)," Forbes Advisor said, "followed by finding care for the dog when traveling or going to work (26 percent), training the dog (25 percent), cost (24 percent) and barking or whining (24 percent)."

In any case, users on TikTok loved the video.

"The greenest of green flags," said one commenter.

"That is a GOOD man. You can tell someone's true character by the way they treat animals," said another.

"I had to do this for one of my dogs who would NOT sit unless she had a bed or something to sit on!" commented another user.

"It's what the babies deserve," commented one TikTok user.

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Update 7/3/23, 3:56 a.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from the original poster.

Correction 7/3/23, 4:13 a.m. ET: This article was updated to correct Betsy Grunch's age from 53 to 43.