A dog’s unconditional affection is a strong thing. A stray dog that was adopted when it was only 8 months old recently became 20 years old.
John Unger, a man from Wisconsin, USA, has been caring for a stray dog named Schoep. He grew old and didn’t appear to be getting better. Unger, his owner, was preparing for the unavoidable.
John and Schoep had been together for 19 years. Unger recently discovered that his dog had severe arthritis, which had rendered him paralyzed. He was saddened when the vet suggested euthanizing the puppy, but John refuses to do so in order to aid Schoep.
In the final several years of his life, John has done his best to take care of Schoep, holding him and refusing to leave him. At all times, John was by his side.
Unger began floating Schoep in order to alleviate joint pain. Schoep benefits from floating in water because it relieves pressure on his joints and muscles. Schoep would sometimes fall asleep in his owner’s arms because the trickle of water was so soothing. Hannah, John’s friend, took this heartfelt shot of John with his dog Schoep.
“Whenever he got in the water, he wouldn’t swim and would simply put his paws on my shoulders and want to be held,” Unger said. “All of a sudden, he was asleep one of these times.” We’ve been doing it on a regular basis since then.”
Schoep, on the other hand, died in 2013. Schoep was going through a rough patch when John met him. John promised to look after him and treat him well, and he eventually did.
Even during Schoep’s difficult times, John continued to take care of him and strive to help him live, insisting on always accompanying him to the most pleasant occasions of his life…