Watson had been at the vet around the clock after being picked up by a young man from college who found him alone in a Philadelphia Park. He was emaciated and covered in infected sores, and he had a large cancerous tumor on his hind leg.
When Janine Guido, founder of Speranza Animal Rescue, first met Watson, her expression said it all.
Janine told The Dodo:
“The first thing I noticed about him were his eyes. He looked exhausted, like he was ready to give up the fight.”
Woman spends night at shelter to care for dying dog
Cancer, unfortunately, took over from Watson. By the time he was transferred to the shelter, it was clear that all Watson wanted was someone to sit with him. The only thing they could do right now was try to put him at ease, so Janine did.
She said :
“I had a hunch thing weren’t going to be good the next day. I didn’t want to leave him alone. Not when he needed me the most.”
So that night, Janine took a bunch of quilts and pillows to make a bed and put them in the rescue center laundry room. She slept with Watson, hugged him and spoke softly to him.
The dying dog fell asleep and Janine stayed with him all night.
Janine said:
“He slept like a rock all night, snuggled up to me so tightly. I fell asleep crying and woke up crying too.”
For the first time in who knows how long, Watson slept comfortably in the arms of someone who loved him. But when Janine woke up the next day, the dog was even more tired than the day before. He didn’t want to eat or drink and began to spin in circles, dying soon after.
Even though Janine didn’t know Watson for a long time, the impact he had on her that night is one she will never forget. And surely after the life Watson led, Janine’s lovely gesture meant a lot to him too.
Janine said:
“I’m so grateful that I got to hold him close on his last night. I was telling him how much he was loved – and that his life mattered. My heart is breaking, but I wouldn’t change a thing.”
Rest in peace Watson.
To honor Watson’s memory and help other dogs like him, you can donate to Speranza Animal Rescue here.
Images: Facebook / Speranza Animal Rescue
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