We humans grief when we lose someone we love and care about, but it seems animals can be sad and grief as well if they lose their beloved owners. The bond between a dog and its owner is one that is unshakeable.
A sweet dog named Gunner feels that the end is near for his owner and he just couldn’t face life without his favorite human.
Daniel Hove a Wisconsin firefighter started his career in the air force and then continued his life for others serving his community of Burnsville.
“He was someone that his department really relied on to innovate, educate, train, and keep up with the new firefighting technique,” his daughter Heather Nicoletti said, as per Kare 11 News. And when he was ill, unfortunately, the diagnosis took a lot out of Hove during his final years.
Heather stated that her dad had to endure a lot of chemotherapy rounds.
“When my dad would get agitated, the dog would be agitated, my dad was restless, the dog was restless,” Heather said. “My dad was unresponsive, the dog was unresponsive. So once we saw how the dog was doing–he wasn’t moving much anymore, not doing well– we knew, it was coming.”
One day, as the old dog grew increasingly listless and his arms started swelling, Heather knew it was time, sadly, to put Gunner down. “I called the vet clinic I used to work at,” she said, “They got me in right away and I rushed him up there, put him to sleep. And about an hour and a half later, my dad was gone too.”
“I had said I don’t know what’s going to be more traumatic for him: to try to take him away to end–to put him to sleep– to end his suffering, or if you let him live through dad dying. I think either way it’s leaving forever him,” she added.
“We knew they were going to go together. We just didn’t know it was going to be hours apart.”
“Gunner could not be without my dad,” Heather said. “I think he chose to go with him.”
The family is planning to hold a big ceremony with full honors for her father and his faithful friend.
The story of Gunner and Hove’s bond moved Facebook users. Cathy Ferrazzo wrote: My heart goes out to the family not only for having put a dog down recently but to lose the dog and their father so close together…unreal…I’m happy they can be together because it’s obvious they were meant to be. “What a beautiful story! So inspiring, knowing man’s best friend is there till the end,” wrote Peggy Wiedl-Wilson. Lynette Bryant wrote: What a touching story…dogs really do “know.” My sympathies to the family. The veteran’s son, Chris Hove, wrote on a picture of the pair: Goodnight dad, goodnight Gunner.
