It’s a sad truth that dogs don’t live as long as humans, but the best we can do is make their lives as enjoyable as possible and make them feel loved until death. end.
No dog should have to die alone, and it’s important that they feel comfortable and safe in their final moments.
In a bittersweet and beautiful story, a woman went above and beyond to make sure a dying shelter dog had a friend in her final hours.
A dog named Watson arrived at Speranza Animal Rescue in 2018 after a middle schooler found him alone in the park.
The shelter took in the dog, but it was clear he didn’t have much time left to live. The stray dog was emaciated, covered in sores and had a cancerous tumor on one hind leg. He was taken to the emergency room, treated with intravenous antibiotics and underwent tests.
But the founder of the shelter, Janine Guido, sensed that the dog might not have long to live and that the only thing to do was to make him comfortable. “I had a feeling things weren’t going to work out the next day,” she told The Dodo.
So Janine placed blankets and dog beds on the floor so Watson had a comfortable place to curl up and sleep, but then she did something amazing.
Sensing that the dog was living its last hours and needed companionship, she decided to spend the night with him. She wrote on Facebook that she “couldn’t bring herself to leave kind Watson.”
Janine and Watson cuddled for a long time, and Janine talked to him as they fell asleep. Not much is known about Watson’s past, but given his condition, it seems he lived a life full of neglect and loneliness. Janine showed him the love he had been deprived of for so long.
“I didn’t want to leave him alone. Not when he needed me the most,” she told The Dodo. “He slept like a rock all night, snuggling tightly against me. I cried myself to sleep, and woke up in tears. »
When Watson woke up the next morning, he was in bad shape. The shelter wrote on Facebook that he was “getting cold, spinning and falling”, and that he was “in pain”.
Watson died that morning – and Janine was with him until the end. “I held you in my arms when you took your last breath. You left so peacefully. I know it was your time,” Janine wrote.
“I sat with him until the end. I spoke through my tears. I told him how much he was loved. »
Although she was heartbroken by the dog’s passing, she knew that in the few hours they spent together, she made him feel loved for the first and last time.
“I’m so glad I got to cuddle and hold you tight last night. I hope you could feel how much I love you,” she wrote. “Even though I only knew you for a very short time. »
“I’m just so grateful that I got to hold him tight on his last night,” Janine told The Dodo. “I was telling him how much he was loved – and that his life mattered. My heart is broken, but I wouldn’t change a thing. »
It’s a sad story, but one that shows the impact a little love can have in a dog’s life ❤️💔 Thanks to Janine for showing Watson the love he had been deprived of for so long , just when he needed it most.
Thank you for sharing this beautiful story.
