Woman Sleeps Overnight on Shelter Floor with Dying Dog So He Doesn’t Pass Away Alone

When people rescue stray animals hoping to give them homes wherein the speechless eventually heal and overcome the traumas they’ve experienced for a very long time, deep inside they know no matter how much they try, not all animals are strong enough to make it. However, being there for the neglected animals in their darkest hour is still the greatest gift people can give to them, so they don’t feel like they are alone when they face a lonely death.

Janine Guido, founder of Speranza Animal Rescue who together with her volunteers and foster parents save the most abused and neglected animals with the goal of finding loving homes in Pennsylvania, knows this first hand.

When Guido met Watson, an abandoned dog found by a college student at a local park in a horrific condition, she knew he was not going to make it. He was skin and bones, was covered in open wounds, and had a giant cancerous tumor on his hind leg.

“The first thing I noticed with him was his eyes. He looked exhausted,” Guido told The Dodo, “like he was ready to give up the fight.”

Watson was taken to an emergency veterinarian so that he could get 24-hour care. However, it was clear that the cancer had spread, that he was in an inoperable state, and that there’s nothing that the vet could do. The only thing they could do at that point was try to keep him comfortable until he passed — and Guido did just that.

“I had a gut feeling that things weren’t going to be good the next day. I didn’t want to leave him alone. Not when he needed me the most,” she recalled.

Knowing he didn’t have much time left, she decided to spend the night at the shelter and be by his side in his final hours. The Dodo writes:

“Guido grabbed some dog beds and some blankets and placed them on the floor of the laundry room at the rescue center. She laid down next to Watson and snuggled up close to him while she whispered soothing things to him. This helped poor little Watson to fall fast asleep in a sweet slumber.”

“He slept like a rock all night,” Guido remembered, noting how Watson slept in her arms, cuddled up tight and reaping great comfort from her company. “I cried myself to sleep, and woke up in tears as well,” she said.

The next morning Watson showed no interest in food or water, paced in circles around the room, and gently passed away a few minutes later. Though it ended up tragically for Watson, a kind act of kindness changed Guido’s life completely: