When Cookie's life-long buddy, Stitch, passed away, her human posted a heartbreaking photo of their shared food bowl. In it sat the half-eaten dog food Cookie continued leaving behind for Stitch. Oh the tears!
There are some folks who don't believe animals have emotions. But animal lovers know better.
A man named Easton Dufur grew up with two pet Labradors -- Cookie and Stitch.
"We got Stitch when I was in kindergarten," he explained. "Then around the third grade is when we got Cookie. We felt that Stitch should have some company. But they were like Batman and Robin they were always together they always always got along and always were playing with each other and taking care of one another."
One of the sweetest things about this pair is how they always shared a food bowl.
For those of you who wanna see my dogs here they are
(Stitch is on top, Cookie is on bottom) pic.twitter.com/zDK89IP18s— EasyBreasyBeautiful (@_EasyBreasy_) June 13, 2017
So, when Stitch recently passed away, Cookie felt the loss every time she went to eat. Easton cut back on the amount of kibble he gave to Cookie, but still found half-eaten dog food in the bowl. And Easton shared the heartbreaking reason why on Twitter.
When she was a puppy, Stitch trained Cookie to eat only half of the food in the bowl. The other half went to Stitch. They enjoyed this arrangement right up until Stitch passed away.
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Part of what makes dogs so lovable is their loyalty. After Stitch's passing, it was Cookie's first time alone. And even though Easton put less food in the bowl, Cookie remained loyal to her beloved fur-brother. She couldn't quite bring herself to eat all the kibble.
— EasyBreasyBeautiful (@_EasyBreasy_) June 11, 2017
Sure, skeptics would say it's just a habit. But any animal lover knows the special bond our pets have with their furry siblings. And they grieve the loss of a fur-baby just as much as their humans.
RELATED: How to cope after losing a beloved pet
After Easton shared the story of Cookie and Stitch on Twitter, loads of people replied, many with animated images of uncontrollable crying. Anyone who's loved and lost a pet can relate.
— white bread (@aw_273) June 12, 2017
— Joshua Nesbitt (@Ninja_VwS) June 14, 2017
— Playa (@meganhubbard445) June 13, 2017
The good news is that Easton says Cookie is adjusting.
"We still are making sure that she is getting love and comfort that she needs right now so she is doing well," he said.
Losing them is tough. But what a blessing pets are to our lives!
h/t: Today
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