Peanut was just a puppy when his human sister, Malaika Jaovisidha, went away to college eight years ago. He didn’t know when he’d see her again, and every day felt longer than the last.

When Jaovisidha came home a few months later on break, Peanut was so excited to see his sister that he couldn’t stop kissing her.

Jaovisidha made routine trips back home to her family’s house in Thailand while she was in school. And as soon as he’d see her, Peanut would go into a face-licking frenzy.

“Each reunion is just as exciting as the last, no matter if I’ve been away for a week or months,” Jaovisidha told The Dodo. “But I never usually [left] for more than 4–6 months at a time.”

Until 2020, when strict travel restrictions went into place across the globe. Jaovisidha was stuck in Australia for over two years before she could finally fly back home.

“I was honestly afraid [Peanut] had forgotten about me,” Jaovisidha said. “I’ve never been away for so long, so I didn’t know what to expect.”

When the day came, Jaovisidha spotted Peanut and her family at the arrivals gate immediately. The senior Chihuahua saw her, too, but she could tell that he didn’t recognize her based on his reaction.

“All he did was look at me and wag his tail,” Jaovisidha said. “This is how he usually greets strangers who come over to pet him.”

You can watch Peanut’s reunion with Jaovisidha here:

But when Jaovisidha spoke, Peanut recognized her voice instantly.

“I called his name and he went absolutely ballistic,” Jaovisidha said. “He started crying and couldn’t stop climbing all over me to give me kisses!”

Malaika Jaovisidha

Peanut was overjoyed to see one of his favorite humans again, just as he always was whenever she would come home from school. Now, Peanut and Jaovisidha are making up for lost time by doing all of their favorite things together, such as going for walks and cuddling.

“I missed cuddling with him,” Jaovisidha said. “It’s the sweetest thing.”