A heartbroken owner has shared the final moments of his 14-year-old golden retriever, named Murphy.
As the dog grew old, he got throat and nose cancer so bad that the least painful thing for him was to be put down by a vet.
Murphy’s owner, Dale Thompson, who lives in Toronto posted a half-minute-long video of his beloved pet as he took his final steps to the vet with “dignity, clarity and honor.”
The video was watched half a million times across a variety of social media platforms, with Dale receiving a number of condolence messages from people all over the world.
In the tear-worthy video, Murphy can be seen walking at a calm consistent pace with his eyes fixed on the pavement ahead of him.
The video of the dog’s last walk was shared by Dale on Twitter with the caption: “Murphy walked to the vet today for the last time.
“He walked in with dignity, clarity and honor. He left this world the same way he came into it: With style, grace and happy. RIP my friend.”
After the vets put Murphy down, Dale tried to describe the “void” Murphy’s demise had created in his life, saying: “There’s not a word that’s been crafted or invented yet which could ever express how broken my heart is today. Simply put, I am lost.
“My world and my hear has been left with a void that’ll never be filled.”
He added: “Sad is something I’ll be one day after I’ve cried a million tears and walked a million steps but, right now, I’m many miles from sad right now.
“The cruel reality if love is loss…and my heart just can’t contemplate that now. Good day and good night, sweet prince.”
Hours after the video, Dale also posted a picture of Murphy’s feed bowls, saying: “My place is so quiet now, you can hear the clock ticking, the floor squeaking, every sound is now amplified so much.
“The area he’d always lay down in seems so big now. His food dish is still untouched from this morning (baked chicken with some Chinese takeout don’t judge lol).”
One user commented: “This thread breaks my heart. RIP brave boy. I am sorry for your loss Dale. You were lucky to have each other.”
Another user, who’d been through the loss of a pet said: “Losing a doggie is one of the worst things. I sobbed every night for a week after my 18-year-old went to doggie heaven.”
A third one wrote: “This is so heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time. I am so utterly sorry for your loss and your pain. What a beautiful dog he was.”
Replaced!