Even though we know they won't be with us forever, losing a pet is an incredibly painful experience for animal lovers. But, as one dog owner recently found out, sometimes a little bit of kindness can help ease the pain. Back in October, Joseph Inabnet had to put down his 13-year-old pug, Bailey.
Unfortunately, according to Inabnet, Bailey also "plagued with medical problems" since the age of five. "I didn’t expect her to live past her eighth birthday, but she lived to be almost 14 due to the outstanding care provided by [her vet]," he said when reached via email.
But in the fall, Inabnet finally had to let her go. At the time, he had a brand-new, unopened bag of prescription dog food from the online pet retailer Chewy, and he contacted the company to see if he could return it and get a refund. They told him to donate the dog food and gave him his money back. But that wasn't all.
Joseph Inabnet
The kind-hearted customer service team at Chewy also sent him a sympathy card along with an oil painting by artist Sharon LaVoie Lamb, based on a photo of Bailey sitting up on her hind legs when she was about nine years old.
"Bailey’s trick was sitting up," Inabnet said. "She did it to get attention, and she always wanted attention. Even on her last day, with the vet, she was sitting up when we put her down."
Joseph Inabnet
The Chewy team's heartfelt, hand-written note read:
"Pets come into our lives, leave paw prints on our hearts and we are forever changed."We're sending lots of love and positive thoughts. If you ever need anything, we're always here.
Warmly,
The Chewy Family
Inabnet posted the photo and story about Chewy's kind gesture on his Facebook account, where it went viral, garnering more than 100,000 shares and thousands of comments from people who were touched by it.
Inabnet said he and Bailey had a bond from the beginning. "I wanted a pug because a friend of mine had a pug named Beluga. I fell in love with him, so I posted on Craigslist that I was looking for a pug," he said.
About three months later, someone saw the post, and introduced Inabnet to two pug puppies. "She had two little pug puppies in a baby carriage with bows around their necks," he recalled. "One pug immediately sat down beside me. I asked which pug was mine, and that was the one that had picked me."
Ever since, he and Bailey—who was the first dog Inabnet owned as an adult—were inseparable. "She changed my life," Inabnet said. "I have never been closer to an animal."
While nothing will ever bring Bailey back, it's comforting to know that people care. And for more touching pet stories, check out This Dog’s Final Wish Is Going Viral and It’s Sure to Make You Cry.
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