For a war veteran, overcoming the traumas left by years of serving in the military on the battlefield can become an incredibly challenging burden to bear. Many end up with severe cases of post-traumatic stress disorder. And if it weren’t for the help of professionals, the support of their family, and the beautiful therapy dogs specialized for such cases, they couldn’t rewrite their story and find a reason to live. Daniel Hove was a respected soldier in the United States Air Force, who after retiring became the Fire Chief of Burnsville, Minnesota. But no battle or fire could be as difficult to cope with as the terrifying medical diagnosis he received: pancreatic cancer.

The man with cancer and his dog, who never left his side, passed away on the same day. Fortunately, in addition to the support of his family during this difficult time, he had a loyal friend, one of those who stand by you through thick and thin, one of those who are capable of guarding your dreams while you’re ill, one of those whose only concern is to be by your side.

That was his loyal dog, Gunner, an 11-year-old Labrador. Since being diagnosed with cancer, Gunner simply decided never to leave his side. To the point that they set up a little bed next to Daniel so the dog could watch over his dreams.

It was the only way for owner and pet to sleep peacefully. It’s so touching! Photos from the last few years show the loyal dog curled up in bed next to his owner. No matter what, Gunner made sure not to be separated from his favorite human by more than a few inches. That’s why it didn’t surprise anyone when Daniel entered the terminal phase of his illness, and his days were numbered, that the dog also fell seriously ill at the same time. One day they noticed that the dog was hardly moving, so they knew his final moment was approaching. With their hearts broken, they decided to take him to the vet to put him to sleep, it was the fairest thing to do so he could pass away without suffering.

It was an especially heartbreaking moment for Heather, knowing that she had her father in almost the same circumstances. But the whole family was shocked, and at the same time somewhat comforted, when after putting Gunner to sleep, just 1 hour and a half later, Daniel also stopped breathing and passed away to be reunited with his beloved dog on the other side of the rainbow bridge. Despite the difficulty of the moment, Heather found comfort in knowing that at least her father didn’t have to go through the bitter experience of having to say goodbye to his pet. And at the same time, the dog simply couldn’t bear a single second without his human by his side.

“I always wondered: what would be more traumatic for Gunner, putting him to sleep to end his suffering, or having him suffer his dad’s death. Either way, that would kill him. We knew they would go together, but never just hours apart,” the woman recounted to the media. In this “Zoo-wonderful” video, you can learn more details about this admirable story of unconditional love:

It’s a truly moving story that demonstrates the incredible bond of true love that can be created between an owner and a dog, much stronger than the bonds of blood between humans even. Hopefully, we all value our pets more every day, sometimes we forget how special they can become in the hardest moments of our lives.

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