The footage you’re about to see was filmed by a young boy’s mother. In it, we can see her son sat up against a wall. His mom had been hoping that he’d find a friend at school or in the area for some time. But he’d had no luck. So she decided to buy a pet dog for the family to see if that helped. And it did…

The boy has Down’s Syndrome and, while happy and fun loving, had always struggled with his confidence. But the unconditional love that exists now between him and his new best friend, the family golden retriever, has really brought him out of his shell. Seeing them playing together? It’s a joy to behold.

The canine’s amazingly innate sense of empathy and gentleness really brought a tear to our eye when we first saw this.