You can say this is proof that a pet is much more than an animal.

James Wathen was hospitalized for several weeks when his condition dramatically worsened and he quit eating.

The elderly man had only one wish: to see his dog just one more time. However, dogs are not allowed at the hospital. To make things worse, James’ dog, Bubba, an old, one-eyed chihuahua, was picked up by Animal Control after he was hospitalized.

But when staffers at Kentucky’s Baptist Health realized it was the loss of his dog that was making James worse and emotionally unhealthy, they tracked down Bubba to reunite him with James, reported  WKYT-TV

What happened next was nothing less than a miracle. James began to cry when he saw his dog again, and his mood began to significantly improve, according to Today.com.

Watch the reunion