Photo of owner taking arthritic dog for swim goes viral on Facebook

(source: Yahoo News)

A photograph of a 19-year-old arthritic dog taking a relaxing dip in Lake Superior has captured the hearts of millions online.

The image was posted to Facebook by photographer Hannah Stonehouse Hudson, who wrote: "This 19-year-old [Schoep is] being cradled in his father's arms last night in Lake Superior. Schoep falls asleep every night when he is carried into the lake. The buoyancy of the water soothes his arthritic bones. Lake Superior is very warm right now, so the temperature of the water is perfect. I was so happy I got to capture this moment for John [Unger]. By the way, John rescued Schoep as an 8-month-old puppy, and he's been by his side through many adventures :)."

The photo, first posted last week, has been viewed more than 2 million times and has received more than 200,000 "likes" from Facebook users.

In the picture, the dog appears to be asleep while being cradled in Unger's arms as the two wade in the lake.
"My specialty is documenting relationships, whether it's a wedding or a man and his dog," Hudson told the Pioneer Press." 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.'"

After a busy week shooting wedding photos, Hudson says she was shocked at how quickly the photograph grew in popularity.

"I never thought that this many people would see the same thing," she told the paper. "I know this is not about me--it's about a guy who loves his dog--but I am in complete awe that my photo has had such an impact."

Hudson is selling prints of the photo, "John & Schoep," on her website and says she'll donate a percentage of the sales to help pay for Schoep's veterinarian bills.

Loyal Dog, Capitán, Sits By Owner's Grave For Six Years.

Loyal Dog, Capitán, Sits By Owner's Grave For Six Years. 
Source: Huffington Post
 


One loyal dog hasn't moved from his master's side for the last six years - refusing to let even death part them.

German shepherd, Capitán, ran away from home after his owner and best friend, Manuel Guzman, died in 2006. A week later Guzman's family, who live in Cordoba, Argentina, found the heartbroken dog grieving at the gravesite, reported Dog Heirs.  "We had never taken him to the cemetery so it is a mystery how he managed to find the place," Veronica Guzman, Manuel's widow, told the Sun.

Every Sunday, for the past six years, the Guzman family has gone to the cemetery to visit both Manuel and Capitán. Although the dog often leaves the cemetery to spend a short period of time with his family, he always returns to the gravesite before dark.

"I don't think he wanted to leave Manuel on his own at night," Veronica told the Sun.

Cemetery director, Hector Baccega, said that staff at the cemetery in central Argentina are now feeding and taking care of the dog.

“During the day he sometimes has a walk around the cemetery, but always rushes back to the grave. And every day, at six o’clock sharp, he lies down on top of the grave and stays there all night,” Baccega told La Voz.

Although the Guzman family would like to take Capitán home with them, they understand the dog's immense loyalty to his best friend.