Hospital Dog Retires Due to Illness, Gets Adopted—Still Thinks He’s at Work

In a viral TikTok video, a retired hospital service dog still behaves like he is on duty, and internet users can’t cope with the heartwarming footage.

The emotional clip, shared in June under the username @goodboybudster, shows the 4-and-a-half-year-old golden retriever, Buddy, doing things like monitoring his mom while exercising, and all other things he used to do as a working dog. This is despite him having retired due to health complications.

“Things my retired hospital service dog does that just make sense. Monitors my workout. Only speaks in full sentences. Must hold hands at all times,” the poster says in the clip. “Once a pawfessional, always a pawfessional,” she adds in the caption.

His owner, 32-year-old Candice, from Boston, Massachusetts, told Newsweek that Buddy was born and bred for service at Canine Assistants in Georgia, and began his training as a service dog at 8 weeks of age.

Candice said: “He was matched with our hospital at about 1 and a half to begin working as a community service dog, or Facility Dog.

“A Facility Dog differs from a Therapy Dog as Hospital Facility Dogs are born, bred, and trained for service work, assisting patients to meet care goals through animal-assisted intervention and therapy.

“Buddy began work in May 2022 as a Hospital Facility Dog. He worked 40 hours a week alongside myself and my co-handler. He was part of our hospital’s Child Life team,” she said.

The poster added that the role of a child life specialist is to lessen the traumatic impact of hospitalization on children and their families through developmentally appropriate preparation, support, and play.

“Buddy became a very special and unique tool in our tool-belt,” Candice said, before explaining how a degenerative disease put an end to his hospital career.

“In summer 2024, Buddy began exhibiting troubling symptoms. After many tests, images, and interventions, Buddy was diagnosed with Lower Motor Neuron disease. In his case, his LMN disease is degenerative in nature. Buddy began many different treatment regimens, both medication- and rehabilitation-based. The medications have left him immunocompromised.

“In April of 2025, Buddy retired at age 4 as he was unable to continue working, both due to medications, as well as symptoms and energy. Buddy is the silliest, goofiest boy…