Someone at Advocate Creative must have reread Where the Red Fern Grows recently, because this six-minute video, made for the Humane Society of Silicon Valley's #MutualRescue campaign, punches the exact same spot in our hearts.

Using a mix of live footage and line-drawn animation, the video tells the story of Eric O'Grey, who kicked Type II Diabetes and other obesity-related health problems after adopting a shelter dog named Peety.

Their mutual transformation from overweight, middle-aged social recluses to happier, healthier beings is masterfully presented, with no false sentiment. You will cry, and there's no point fighting it, but it will be an earned and genuine response to what unfolds here.

The most striking thing about O'Grey's story, sponsored by Timi Sobrato and John M. Sobrato of The Sobrato Organization, isn't the physical changes—it's his gratitude toward his companion. The man's thankfulness for a better life speaks directly to the point Mutual Rescue wants to make: Sometimes the "rescue" part of pet adoption goes both ways.