A senior dog dumped at a shelter at 18 years of age was adopted by a woman determined to make his final months happy.

Chihuahua Benji was adopted from a shelter after being left there in his twilight years, with adopter Emi taking him in knowing he didn't have long left.

She showcased his story in a viral post to her TikTok account @emwright22, and since being posted on October 11, it has been viewed over 430,000 times.

It begins with Benji, in a concrete room and looking through a wire fence at the shelter, shivering and alone, with the words: "You were 18 when your family gave you up."

But the next slides show him looking as happy as a dog can be, smiling for the camera, getting cuddles from his new adopter, and being taken on adventures, as Emi revealed he was "at the shelter only two days before I knew you were coming home with me."

As the montage flits through pictures of Benji being loved by everyone around him and being pampered as much as possible, Emi wrote: "You were hospice, so we knew we needed to make your last days the best ones."

Benji made it through the summer with his new family, then through to Halloween, and they even got to spend Christmas together—as well as celebrating the tiny senior pup's 19th birthday.

But eventually, they had to say goodbye, with Emi writing they now "forever have a Benji sized hole in our hearts."

She wrote in a caption: "I love you forever my sweet old man."

And TikTok users responded in a big way, praising Emi for what she did for Benji, and sharing their shock that he could be left at a shelter at such an old age.

"People who foster hospice dogs are amazing—better than me. That hole is hard," one user wrote, while one asked: "Why are people so cruel?"

"I'm actually sobbing how could they abandon him," one wrote, adding: "Thank you for loving him until the end."

And as one person put it: "What a beautiful life he lived with you all! I'm so thankful your paths crossed. RIP Benji—May you all meet again one day."

Senior pets like Benji are much less likely to be adopted from shelters than their younger counterparts, with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) stating older dogs are sometimes adopted at half the rate of younger animals and puppies.

There are many positives to adopting seniors, however. The ASPCA points out that older animals already have their own personalities, with no surprises once you bring them home. They are unlikely to teethe or cause destruction, usually have basic training such as sit and stay, and are generally more used to living with other dogs.

Newsweek has contacted @emwright22 on TikTok and Instagram for comment.

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.