Posted on 08/07/2012 3:48:40 PM PDT by TurboZamboni
photo may be worth 1,000 words, but professional photographer Hannah Stonehouse Hudson has learned it can also be worth 2.2 million views, 191,162 likes, 108,766 shares and 21,936 comments (and counting) on Facebook.
"My specialty is documenting relationships, whether it's a wedding or a man and his dog," says the Bayfield, Wis., photographer. "I have known my friend John and his dog, Schoep, for six years. I have seen Schoep age -- he's 19 now. John lives his life in a kind way. He rescued this dog as a puppy, they have gone everywhere together ever since. Schoep has arthritis now, and John finds that the water is therapeutic. He is the kind of person who wants his animals to be comfortable. I wanted to capture their relationship. I told John, 'I really need to get photos of you and your dog.'
(Excerpt) Read more at twincities.com ...
I was one of those like and share people....that picture spoke volumes and brought a tear to my eye......thank you for posting and we can share it even more with all of the animal loving FReepers....
doggie ping
The only word I have is awwwwwwwww.
The tenderness is amazing.
12 years is pretty old for a Norweigan Elkhound.
(yeah, I cried like a baby)
Great picture. Shows the love...
Dang monitor must be going out on me. Got blurry. (*sniff, sniff*)
I had to put my two greyhounds down within a year of each other...one was 12, one was 14. My wife and I got the 14 yo a month after we were married. She was literally our first child. Took me 3 years before I could get another greyhound.
Nothing smells worse than a wet dog. Except a wet hippie.
Dang monitor must be going out on me. Got blurry. (*sniff, sniff*)
***********************************************************
Mine too—it must be Free Republic’s servers.
Yes, but would you smell like a wet hippie, and a wet dog, just to replicate that photo? I would, in a heartbeat.
Here, too.
ping
Dang monitor must be going out on me. Got blurry. (*sniff, sniff*)Ditto. What an extraordinary image.
I’ve had one dog in my life as a boy, until my daughter got a dog and then had to move away for work.
I have the dog now. I swore up and down I wouldn’t have a dog again, the walks, the poop scooping and vets and then the hardest decision...
the dog Tootsie is an amazing canine. Smart, knows what I say, is getting more obedient (she’s almost 4 years old now).
I’ve learned / she’s taught me her vocalizations and what she means now, so we communicate better. She is learning to love her baths and is coming around to toe nail clipping...very slowly.
Tootsie is a rescue from Salt Lake, UT that somehow made her way to Denver as nothing more than skin and bones after having a litter somewhere...
She’s so much improved her muscles and is the second fastest doggie at the dog park, she loves to run and smiles a mile wide.
If you haven’t read “The Art of Racing in the Rain” you should get it asap.
The outside of a dog is good for the inside of a man...Churchill??
G
I thought some nut shot that guy on a stoop in New York City thirty years ago?
In older dogs there is something called “Vestibular Syndrome” that can mimic the signs of a stroke. It happened to one of my elderly basenji’s. He was fine in a day or so (although it can take longer), the important thing is to keep him hydrated, as the vertigo effect can interfere with them being able to drink.
Hope your pup does better.
FYI, my other basenji (almost 17) went blind some time ago. It seemed to adapt pretty well. Of course you have to adapt too.
“Nothing smells worse than a wet dog. Except a wet hippie.”
What an idiotic comment! Do you know this guy? Or are you judging him because he has long hair? I’m a retired musician, and have many “long-haired” friends. They’re Country musicians, and are about 90% Conservatives! I had long hair until the baldness started creeping in. The guy may be a “Hippie”,,,, or he may not be. You don’t know! Nor do I! But the love between this man and his “pet,” is palpable,,, whereas, your comment is just dumb!
He may be a hippie, he may not... but I’ll cut a lot of slack for a man who loves his dog that much. Good post.
So beautiful, Joe. Thanks for the ping.
What a cold-hearted thing to say.
Am I missing your point or are you just trying to be cute?
We had our eldest dog put to sleep in mid June. He was almost twelve and a half, and we held him in our arms as he passed. The people at Tufts have my never ending thanks for their sensitivity and kindness. We miss him every day.
“What an idiotic comment!”
I agree.
Maybe BIG Cindy just doesn’t know what love really is?
What a loving & sweet photo!!!
I am so sorry. I will be thinking of you tomorrow. Please keep up updated.
My beautiful beagle was hit by a car in June and I mourn him every single day. I held him but he had died before I got to him and at that moment, I truly felt like I wanted to go to Heaven with him. We will rescue another beagle in memory of him and keep our love for these precious, God given animals continuing.
I grew up with Basenji’s We had one a few years ago. He was a rescue and had been badly abused. He knew just how much he could take and he’d push and push us expecting us to beat him. We never did, although we wanted to choke him when he ate the recliner, stole from our neighbors, laid in wait for the old guy next door to come home from the grocery store and way laid him for his sack of milk and ham. Luckily, we lived in the country with understanding neighbors. We finally got a fence.
His name was Ruger but we called him Devil Dog for obvious reasons. He’d attack and kill rattle snakes until one called his bluff. He was so sick I had to feed him with a bottle. After that, he quit pushing so hard and would at least cooperate. The dog trainer said he was a cat in a dog suit. He was killed when one of our neighbors wolves escaped their enclosure. He got too close too close to them and they pulled him through the field fencing, mauled him. He died a couple of days later.
We had another dog that lived for 19 years. Best dog ever. He was just the opposite of Ruger. He was a border collie/shepard mix and was the lovingest, smartest dog. He lived to be 19.
We now have a little min-pin rescue named Howdy. He’s a keeper, for sure. Little dogs get into little trouble and aren’t tall enough to drink from the toilet.
bkmk
Thank you for the post and ping.
I’ve been there many times - the final kindness - but I will alwys have dogs. They add so much to our lives.
Just as I was drifting off to sleep, she began barking furiously and ran to the upstream end of the island. She was gone for about 5 minutes, and came back panting. This happened about four more times that night. Don't know if something was actually up there, or the gurgling of the water was making her hear things, but she sure thought she was defending the camp. She kept us all up for most of the night.
Next day, we got up and broke camp. Just as I put the last of the stuff in the canoe, I told Katie to get in.
She walked down the bank, stopped at the edge of the river, looked upstream to where the "disturbance" was, and let out a growling bark, as if to say, "I'll get you next time". She then got in and we went happily down the river.
The worst was the time that she saw my buddies going ashore and she decided the canoe was close enough to shore to get out. Without warning, she bailed over the side and about turned the whole thing over...in fact, the side went so low that I briefly took on water.
I miss that dog.
One of our collies had that a couple of years ago but recovered completely. We lost him and his brother this past year when they were both over 13, which is pretty old for a collie. We have another collie we got from the shelter but this one is a barker. We’re working on him...
Thank you all for your kind words.
My JRT is only 4 1/2 years old. The vet eye specialist said glaucoma is inherited and quite a few terriers of all types have it.
We were considering putting him down anyway if he didn’t adapt to his blindness and so far he is not.
The stroke symptoms seem to have subsided this afternoon, but he stays in his bed sleeping 24 hours a day unless I get him out to potty or eat.
I am having to give him canned food mixed with his dry food to even get him to eat a single bite. He drinks very little water. He is not adjusting (yet) to the new reality.
I admit, I cried when I saw this picture on FB. What a beautiful moment.
I admit, I cried when I saw this picture on FB. What a beautiful moment.
You are too sentimental. ;)
I’m putting a dear one to sleep tomorrow. I will be gathered and strengthened by you. Thank you.
Okay, I am crying all over my keyboard now. This is the most touching, tender, loving photos I have ever seen.
Doglover ping.
I’m puttin my dear 16 year old BC down tomorrow, dit. It’s ok.
We can handle it.
My little Yorkie spends a lot of her time on my recliner with me. When I see her sleeping there, I think of her knowing she is loved and cared for. She is sleeping without worry.
And, I think of dogs that don’t have good masters - a dog’s life is in our hands. Dog’s are not “things” - they are thinking creatures who respond to those around them.
I had another Yorkie for 17 years and it was hard when she died of cancer.
I could handle it easier if Hoot was 16 instead of 4 1/2.
I was hoping he would adjust to blindness. The vet said that the optic nerve is only 1/2” from his brain and may be putting pressure on it. I just want to do the right thing for him and seeing an active JRT sleep for 23 1/2 hours a day is just killing me.
But yes, you are right we can handle it.
X 2 on Vestibular Syndrome. There’s also an excellent book called Living With Blind Dogs by Caroline Levin (or Levine) with very helpful information. I understand, though. It helps if you can be right with them most of the time. If not, it can be very hard for them.
Thank you for sharing that photo, TurboZ. I lost it, too, but I love seeing people who are that devoted to their critters. Touching is the right description. It is beautiful.
Thank you, my freeper friends know everything! :)
Critters almost seem to be fuzzy angels sent to train us and to be dirtbag detectors. When you see someone who treats their pets like crap, you can bank on them being substandard in the human department.
You’ll notice that often your own can sense the heart of strangers too. A long time ago, dog, horse and cat threw their lot in with humanity (Cat said “ahhh, maybe I’ll do evenings if the fire is good”... lol) and they (even cat) are allies and companions to be treated justly.
lol Oh, I only know enough to get myself in a mess. One of my babies is blind from birth (& she is somethin’!), so I know a little about blind dogs but sadly not so much that can help in your situation. If there are Jack Russell forums (I imagine there are. Or maybe dogster.com), there could be some support & good ideas there, too. A month isn’t very long, really. I have a friend whose Eskie lost at least one eye to glaucoma & by now, he may be blind. I’ll email her & holler at you if she has any suggestions. God Bless you both!
OMG!
this is soooo touching..thanks for posting. thanks!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
