The internet is obsessed with a dog who has befriended local wildlife in his home by the sea.
Ash the poodle lives in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, with his owner Meredith, 53. The seaside town is renowned for its beauty and tranquility, along with its wildlife—and Ash is making the most of it, having befriended multiple seals during his life.
Meredith explained Ash was “the gentlest pup” in his litter, without much of a prey drive, “and we chose him for that reason.”
As he grew, he proved this gentleness as he befriended multiple wild animals, from the crows in the yard, to “his favorite squirrel, Nelly,” and seals and sea lions that live by the shore, who she believes “recognize his gentleness.”
But he shares a special bond with one particular seal, who he first met last spring, as Meredith explained: “Ash only ventures chest-deep into the water, or out onto the rocks, and she swims around him.
“Since he has met her, now, whatever beach he goes to, he can summon seals and they come play with him. He dances on the shore and they swim back and forth alongside him in the water.”
On December 12, Meredith showcased their unusual friendship in a now-viral video, to her TikTok account @ash.in.carmel, viewed close to 600,000 times.
The video showed Ash reacting to spotting his seal in the water, after having not seen her for two weeks, and finally seeing her head bobbing in the water during sunset on Carmel.
As Meredith records, Ash clambers to the edge of the rocks, his tail wagging furiously, and barking playfully at a figure in the water. The figure—his seal—bobs about in the water, before appearing to start swimming closer to him.
Meredith wrote in the caption: “Ash got to see his seal at sunset today. He’s usually quiet with her but it’s been too long since they saw each other.”
On December 13, Meredith showed the moment his “friendships with sea mammals began,” when he was 11 months old and walking with his owner on the shore.
It showed a curious head poking out of the water and “following him down the coast”—revealed to be a sea lion, who couldn’t get enough of Ash, and appeared to be tracking him from the water.
Meredith admitted she was concerned for Ash’s safety at this point, but also thought it was a “unique” moment—not realizing he was about to befriend all sorts of sea creatures. Because, as she wrote in the video, that spring “Ash fell in love with a harbor seal mama and her pup.”
TikTok users were in awe at the video of Ash reuniting with the seal, as one described it as “so magical and precious,” and one admitted: “Dear diary, today I cried over a poodle who befriended a seal.”
And one, who included a crying emoji, wrote: “Maybe they knew each other in another life.”
“He has had dozens of interactions with seals,” Ash’s owner told Newsweek. “He knows the difference between seals, otters and sea lions, and is only allowed to play with seals.”
Meredith and Ash have life by the ocean down to a fine art, as they explore tidepools and clean the beach while keeping an eye out for seals on their regular trips to the beach.
His TikTok account, as well as Instagram @ashincarmel, features dozens of videos Ash interacting with the seals and other marine animals.
Meredith plans to explore even further, taking Ash on a whaleboat and even up to British Columbia, along with studying the mythology of seals and sea lions, and “as much marine biology as we can.”
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.