California - Atlas the very obedient dog looked sadly at his food for ten whole minutes until his parents realized their mistake! Looks like mom and dad are on drool puddle cleanup duty.

The touching scene can be seen in a viral TikTok video in which Atlas looks into the camera with a confused and longing expression.

His mom, who is filming, zooms in a little closer to him, making it easy to see that the poor pup has drool flowing out of both sides of his mouth.

The onscreen text reveals the answer right from the start – the owner and her partner forgot to allow him to eat!

Cats 17-year-old shelter cat had lost all hope, but then he met his soul human: "Wait... You came back?"

"wondering why our boy was so quiet during dinner and realized after 10 minutes that we forgot to release him," reads the onscreen text.

This poor puppu's stamina is rewarded on TikTok, where the video has become a viral hit.

In the comments section, it quickly becomes clear that many users feel sorry for the dog. What does his owner have to say for herself, anyway?

"I felt so terrible for my mistake because I typically release him shortly after setting his bowl down," she confessed to Newsweek.

"But this time, my husband and I were rushing to finish cooking our dinner that we forgot to release him."

Meanwhile, she already reassured viewers that the four-legged friend got "extra yummy treats and big cuddles right after" his well-deserved feast.