What owner of multiple pets hasn't already asked themselves this question: when an animal dies, do the other pets in the household truly understand what has happened?
This question becomes even more troubling when the poorly animal leaves home for the vet's and never returns, without us being able to explain why to our other four-legged companions.
To avoid leaving any confusion lingering, and to allow their two remaining dogs to say goodbye to their friend, a family decided to bring the deceased dog's body home to present him to his mates.
A video that brings tears to the eyes
Aged 13, this Miniature Australian Shepherd named Boomer was suffering from a brain tumour, and sadly didn't have much time left. Having become deaf and blind, the poor dog was struggling with his rapidly deteriorating health.
Faced with this reality, the dog's owners had no choice but to take him to the vet to end his suffering. However, at home, the two other dogs would probably have been very distressed by their friend's disappearance, especially without understanding what had happened to him.
So, after the elderly dog's euthanasia, the couple decided to bring his body home to present him to the two remaining dogs, to give them the chance to say goodbye to their friend and to understand the situation.
Viewed over 1.4 million times, this video has captured the hearts of countless people online. Deeply moving, this footage also shows us Boomer's life with his two companions, and the owners' decision suddenly seems entirely obvious.
After all those years of friendship and pure love, these goodbyes were indeed necessary.
