Mom Shares Heartbreaking Moment Adopted Son Comforts Dying Dog: 'Can I Hold Her When She Goes to Heaven?'
Maria Henry Gay and her family care for elderly dogs that no one seems to want. Older dogs are some of the most difficult to adopt out but are every bit as deserving of a comfortable and kind home to live out their days.
Not only have the Gays adopted these old souls into their family, but they also adopted a boy named Robbie who seems to have been the perfect addition, if a recent viral post is any indication.
Based on Marie Gay’s post, Robbie has a rough past of abuse and suffering but has bloomed into a gentle, thoughtful spirit who has some words of wisdom to share.
“We adopt senior dogs,” she explained in her Facebook post. “Robbie LOVES adopting senior dogs. He is sadly aware the longer a child remains in foster care the less likely they are to be adopted.
“He told me once ‘if all you guys had wanted was a baby, you would have never gotten me.’ He relates to our ‘old people’ (that’s what we call our senior dogs) in much the same way.
“He has also reminded me on several occasions that it doesn’t matter how long you have something for how much you love it. I asked him what he meant and he said ‘well you’ve only known me for two years but you love me like it’s been forever.’ Yes, my son is the coolest.”
But it was one recent incident that highlighted Robbie’s heartbreakingly compassionate side, when the family had to make a tough decision to say goodbye to one of their pups.
Buffy, a fluffy, white dog, was scheduled for some dental work at the veterinarian’s, but as she was being checked out, the vet determined that there were far more serious things going on under the surface.
“Buffy showed signs of advanced kidney failure so anesthesia was not an option and as a family we decided that the kindest and most loving thing to do would be to let her go before she lost her will to live and stopped eating and drinking,” Marie wrote.
“I wouldn’t have dreamed of leaving Robbie out of this decision or not allowing him to be part of the entire process so I immediately went and picked him up from school.
“On the way there he told me he wanted to be the one to hold her when she went to heaven. And of course, I gave him that honor. On the way home I told him how proud I was of him for understanding the importance of caring for old animals and helping to make sure they never ever suffer.”
Robbie understood how it felt to be unwanted, and it fueled his desire to care for the family’s “old people.”
“I know how it feels not to be loved or cared for and I don’t want any animal of mine to ever feel that way,” he told Marie, according to her post. “It’s only sad for us when they go to heaven. It’s a happy day for them. Thank you for being proud of me. Are you ok, Mom?”
Since the story was posted on Feb. 6, it has been shared over 135,000 times and has received over 200,000 reactions. People near and far have commented on the photo, commending the family and their work and extending their condolences.
You can go to Maria Henry Gay’s original post to read the sweet story in its entirety.
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