It’s impossible not to fall in love with dogs. Adorable, playful, and with a whole lot of personality, dogs are considered the best companions for man, whether for work, travel, or simply staying at home. Dogs are fast learners. Easily trainable, they make great assistants and are more than suited for jobs like search and rescue, therapy, tracking and hunting, detection, and more. Their ability to adapt easily to most environments makes them more flexible than other pets, too.
More than their intelligence and impressive skills, dogs are well loved for being lifesavers, too. This is why people online often quip, “We don’t deserve dogs.” They’re gentle, brave, and heroic, just like this senior English Setter who bravely saved his family from a bear.
Pete, the English Setter, was a former hunting dog adopted from Our English Rescue Setter shelter. In typical dog fashion, he immediately grew to love his family and spent his days bringing them joy. He loved them so much that he didn’t hesitate to risk his own life for their safety. In the 18 months that he was with them, he was nothing but a loving, loyal companion.
The people of Me & My Shadow Pets daycare service were out with the dogs for a hike in northern New Jersey when they had an unexpected encounter with a black bear. The black bear attempted to attack the dogs and instead of running off, Pete held the bear off while the dogs were quickly taken to safety. Pete’s instinct to immediately stand up to the bear and let his family retreat to a safe place defines just how strongly dogs love their pet parents and the pack they’re part of.
The couple immediately brought Pete to Oradell Animal Hospital in hopes of keeping him alive, but the dog’s injuries were too severe. “The x-rays revealed some pretty bad spinal damage that would mean he could never walk again, if he survived all the surgeries (not a certain thing at his age).We decided it was best to let him go this afternoon,” shared the couple. It was a tough decision that had to be made, because surgeries meant putting Pete through more suffering.
Cathi, the owner of Me & My Shadow pets, along with her husband Stephen, shared the devastating news on their Instagram page where people expressed both praise and sorrow for Pete.
A family friend also shared the heartbreaking news in a tweet with a photo of the heroic dog attached to it:
There is nothing in the world like the love of a dog. Pet parents go to extreme lengths to give their furry friends happy lives, but it’s in the way the animals reciprocate where the reward truly lies. Pete was the perfect example of unconditional love. He did not hesitate to jump in and save his family. It was in that defining moment that Cathi, her husband, and all who knew his story realized just how great a dog’s love and loyalty is.
“We are heartbroken over losing Pete and would gladly trade all this attention for one more day with him.”
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
