Natalie DePersia and her family from New Jersey had always dreamed of getting a dog. A few years back, they finally made that wish come true. Everything was already arranged, but an unexpected twist happened along the way: they ended up with the wrong dog.
On their way home, the family noticed that their new pup didn’t look like the dog from the photo. A vet visit confirmed it: they had brought home a completely different canine.
As fate would have it, the mix-up turned into a blessing. They quickly fell in love with the Bernese Mountain Dog, whom they named Cash.
For Cash, too, destiny worked in his favor. What wasn’t supposed to be his forever home turned out to be exactly where he belonged.
Years later, Cash would show his family just how much he valued this chance, doing something that had his mom laughing to the point of tears.
He Didn’t Get Very Far
In the TikTok video shared on Natalie’s account @natmdepersia, Natalie is seen driving with her brother, both of them laughing uncontrollably.
At first, it isn’t clear what’s so funny. Then the camera pans to their open front door and zooms in on Cash, who had “run away from home.”
The quotation marks are important because, if Cash had really been trying to escape, he didn’t make it far. Instead, he was sprawled out in the yard, relaxing like he had nowhere better to be.
Seeing him like that sent Natalie into hysterics.
“I was absolutely wheezing with laughter because the whole thing caught us completely off guard. My laugh does not normally sound that… interesting!” Natalie said in her interview for Newsweek.
Still, she admitted there was some relief in the moment too. If they hadn’t found him right there, she said, “[she] would have been frantic.”
As thanks for making her laugh and staying close to home, Natalie treated Cash to ice cream. He had earned every bite.
Reactions Pour In
The clip quickly spread on TikTok, gaining attention not just in New Jersey, but worldwide. It brought smiles and even tears of laughter to countless viewers.
Among the many comments, a few stood out:
“I wouldn’t leave if I lived there either,” one user joked.
“He only wanted a lil freedom. Not too crazy.” another added.
And the third quipped: “He said the streets ain’t for me.”
Natalie was stunned at how many people connected with the video.
“I’m amazed that so many others found it as funny as I did, especially considering they don’t know Cash personally,” she said.
She added one final thought: “Every day with Cash is an adventure, and we’re grateful for the joy he brings to our lives, even if he wasn’t the dog we initially chose. He truly makes our family whole.”