Simba, a friendly dog who gets along with other dogs and loves people, found himself alone and heartbroken in a shelter. His family, with whom he had spent four happy years, surrendered him to the Humane Society of Broward County in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, after a family member developed allergies.

Confused and grieving the loss of his family, Simba suffered from separation anxiety and cried when left alone. The shelter shared a video of Simba’s sad eyes on TikTok, hoping to find him a new loving home. The video quickly went viral, with nearly one million people watching and many commenting that they would never give up their pets due to allergies.

@humanebroward Those eyes 🥺🙏 Big-boy Simba lived with his family his whole life, until one day his world got turned upside down. After four years, someone in his family became allergic and he was brought to the shelter. He doesn’t understand why? 💔 Now, he gets separation anxiety and cries when he’s alone. He loves people and even lived with another dog previously that he loved ❤️ #fyp #foryou #foryoupage #dog #dogsoftiktok #dogvideos #rescuedog #shelterdog #adoptme #adoption #florida #fortlauderdale #dogs ♬ original sound – Humane Society Broward County

One viewer wrote, “Heartbreaking. I’d eat Zyrtec like candy before I could EVER consider getting rid of my babies. I hope this sweet boy finds his forever home.”

Within 24 hours of the video being posted, Simba found a new family. His new mom, Megan, shared, “We adopted him today! He is a love!” She posted a photo of Simba’s freedom ride, showing his happiness at leaving the shelter and starting a new life with his new family.

@sunshine_megan Replying to @ginamarie_46 ♬ Sunshine – WIRA

While Simba was fortunate to find a loving home quickly, many other big dogs languish in shelters for months waiting for someone to adopt them. If you are considering adding a furry friend to your family, remember the countless dogs and cats in shelters who are waiting for their forever homes.