A dog’s 3 a.m. bathroom break turned into a sleepy mix-up from her owner, who went back to sleep for a few hours.
Owner Tabitha Doepel had come off a 7-day workweek stretch, and in a deep sleep when her dog, Wednesday, started begging to be let outside at 3 a.m. Doepel told Newsweek via TikTok her husband usually lets their bully, pit bull mix out, but that night, Wednesday chose her. Still half asleep, she stumbled toward the door and let the dog outside.
“I remember letting her out slightly, and I think I went to the bathroom,” she said. “…it was after working so many days in a row, I was sleep deprived.”
Doepel headed back toward bed, not realizing she had completely forgotten about Wednesday waiting outside. Her husband heard whimpering when he woke up at 6 a.m., and let her back in. The dog’s cries had been caught on the security camera, which Doepel shared in a May 26 TikTok video to her account @tabnottabby.
In the clip, Wednesday sat on the chair next to the house, crying to be let back inside. She changed her approach and tried jumping at the door to make more noise, but nothing seemed to work until Doepel’s husband woke up.
Guilt set in after Doepel watched the security footage later. She felt like the “worst dog mom ever,” especially as she said she had never heard Wednesday howl like that before. But those cries made it seem as if she were forgotten.
“I must’ve let her out and went straight back to bed,” she said, laughing. “I literally don’t remember even going back to bed.”
Several TikTok users made Doepel feel at ease, saying mistakes happen, while others criticized her for forgetting. But Doepel said the incident came after a demanding stretch of work that left her severely sleep-deprived.
Sleep deficiency can make it harder to learn, focus and react, while also affecting a person’s ability to make decisions and solve problems, according to Harvard Health. Research has also linked insufficient sleep to lapses in attention and memory, particularly when people are awakened during the night or are not getting enough rest.
Fortunately, Wednesday appeared quick to forgive her owner.
Doepel assured viewers that she made amends with “so many treats she didn’t want any more” after realizing her mistake.
The accidental lockout has done little to change Wednesday’s status in the household. Doepel noted in a TikTok comment that the dog has four separate beds and eats expensive food, though she still prefers sleeping on the couch.
While the mix-up ended harmlessly, the footage serves as a relatable reminder of how easily exhaustion can lead to forgetful moments, even for devoted pet owners.
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