Their house and owners are often the only family dogs know and when that is no longer a constant in their lives it can hit them hard.
Sadie, a 13-year-old mixed-breed dog, knows how hard it is to lose someone.
She was only eight weeks when she came to her new family and has been a beloved family member since then.
She had developed a strong bond with her human parents. So when she lost one of her human parents she started showing signs of grieving.
When Andy Baelieu, the man who had raised her from a puppy, suffered a sudden heart attack paramedics tried to revive him but couldn’t save him. Sadie was by his side the whole time, snuggling his hand.
His wife Julia Baelieu was heartbroken at the sudden death of her husband and then noticed that Sadie had taken his passing particularly hard.
Julia realized that Sadie was depressed
She would accompany Andy on his way to work every day and after his death just stared out of the window. In the ten days between Andy’s death and his funeral Sadie stopped eating and lost ten pounds.
“Grief is not a human emotion. Love is not a human emotion. These are emotions we share with other animals,” Barbara J. King, anthropology professor at the College of William and Mary and author of “How Animals Grieve,” told TODAY.
Julia understood that Sadie was grieving for her best friend and there was no question that she would attend the funeral service.
When it was time to view the casket on the day of the funeral Julia and Sadie were the last to enter the room. The dog put her two front paws up on the casket and looked inside at her deceased companion.
It was a powerful moment for both of them.
After they had finished they calmly returned home and Sadie ate her first meal in days. This faithful companion finally had the closure she needed.
I’m glad Sadie and Julia have each other during this difficult time?
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