Service Dog Rocks Headphones, Video Goes Viral

Quick Smiles:

• Kierra Martin’s service dog, Tia, gets nervous in music class
• Red headphones help Tia feel at ease and match her service vest
• TikTok video of Tia wearing headphones goes viral

When 19-year-old Kierra Martin enrolled in a music class at her university in Houston, Texas, she didn’t expect it to affect her psychiatric service dog, Tia. However, the German shepherd became extremely nervous as soon as the band started playing. Martin told Newsweek that Tia “freaked out” and tried to run away.

Thinking quickly, Martin left the classroom and came up with an idea to help Tia feel more comfortable. She wondered if headphones could work for dogs just like they do for people. So, she bought a pair of red headphones for Tia and posted an adorable clip of her wearing them on TikTok (@auntie.tia) on January 20.

@salemsk9

Must protect ears #servicedog #seevicedoghandler #servicedogsoftiktok

♬ original sound – Slamuri

The video quickly went viral, amassing over 1.4 million views and 351,000 likes in just a few days. Martin said she bought the headphones to protect Tia’s hearing and help her feel more at ease in loud environments. Although Tia doesn’t love the headphones, she tolerates them and is now okay with the band from a distance.

Service dogs can be any breed or size and are trained to help their handlers with everyday life. The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) states that service animals may be required by people with physical disabilities or mental-health conditions. Psychiatric service dogs can assist people with clinical depression, anxiety disorders, phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder, or autism.

Martin was surprised by the video’s rapid success but is happy with the positive responses. She hopes that other dog owners might be encouraged to try something similar to help their pets. She told Newsweek, “I hope it may help other owners to realize that dogs have sensitive hearing and may need headphones in certain situations to protect their ears.”

TikTok users not only appreciated the protective headphones but also loved how they matched Tia’s service animal vest. With nearly 350 comments on the video, many people praised Tia’s new fashion accessory. One user wrote, “they match the vest how cute!” while another commented, “I laughed entirely too hard at this! What a good dog!”

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