Middle East - After enduring years of suffering, Tilly the cat and Winston the dog became inseparable. When both became gravely ill, their bond proved to last until the heartbreaking end.

The animals' owner, Louisa Crook, revealed via TikTok that the two had crossed the rainbow bridge earlier this month.

Her post, which featured an emotional slideshow of the furry friends, reached an audience of millions.

Crook, who lives in the Middle East, spoke to Newsweek about her two pets, whom she had to say goodbye to with a heavy heart on March 7.

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"There are so many animals needing help here and no one else to do it," she told the outlet.

"There's no SPCA or even laws to protect them. So, if you see a dog needing help, you either do it yourself or ignore it. I couldn't ignore it."

Crook rescued Winston five years ago in an "industrial area." He was full of scars and had likely been hit by a car.

"Honestly, we thought we'd maybe get six months with him, so when he made it to a year, then another year, and then another, we were over the moon," she said.

Two years later, Tilly the cat turned up.

"Tilly was living in utter neglect, trapped in a room in a house. Her owner just didn't care," Crook said. "They eventually left the country, abandoning Tilly."

So the feline came to her new owner, who looked after other dogs and cats in addition to Winston.

At first, the future best friends avoided each other.

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"I'm sure he was tormented by cats in the industrial area where he had lived, so he probably pre-judged little Tilly," Crook said of Winston. "She was so gentle with him, though."

Eventually, the older dog warmed up to Tilly, and they would be one heart and soul for another three years.

Their strong connection was proven by fate, as the pair got seriously sick at the same time, leading them to both be put to sleep on the same day and cuddling each other until the end.