This is the touching floor of Charlie Bear, a 15 -year-old black lab mingle, and Kelly O’Connell, aveterinarian who rescued him at 12 weeksold from a store go-cart one winter.
And although there are O’Connell wasn’t looking for a dog at the time, they’ve been inseparable ever since.
I was 19, still living with my parents and going to college ,” she said.” It was the most difficult time in my life to even attempt to get a dog.He came in, and I was like, Yup. Im taking this puppy home.
In 2010, she gratified fellow veterinarian James Garvin, fell in love, and moved in with him and his two sons.
Charlie got whatever he wanted, OConnell said. But I couldnt furnish him a family. As soon as I filled James and the boys, it was the last act that I could give him. We were one big happy family.
Unfortunately, that merriment took a thump when Charlie Bear was diagnosed with a mentality tumor last-place April after having a convulsion while on a walk.
The prognosis wasnt good, and 1 week before O’Connell and Garvin were set to be married, Charlie Bearseemed to be suffering.
Feeling it was time, theymade arrangements for him to be put to sleep.
But the daysleading up to the wedding, he had no convulsions , no trouble tread, and seemed like a whole new dog, and O’Connell thought he might actually make it to the wedding and he did.
OConnell and Garvin were married on Sept. 1, with Charlie Bear, and one of their other five puppies, by their sides.
I exactly imagined, I miss him to see this, she said, immediately breaking down when Charlie Bear stepped down the aisle to her.
James and I only grabbed onto him, and we just kept saying, You shaped it, buddy, you constituted it, she said.
Too tired to walk back, Katie Lloyd, the maid of reputation and OConnells sister, scooped up the 80 -pound dog and carried him back in her arms.
It hit home for me when I attended my sister carrying him back down the alley, OConnell said. That this was it, were now talking days.
There wasn’t a dry seeing in the place when he was carried away.
I heard Katie say, Charlie, I cant leave you behind, before she scooped him up, photographer Jennifer Dziuvenis. I think he was really happy to be there.I aim, apparently he didnt understand what was happening, but this is his family.
This is what love looks like, Dziuvenis continued. Love for household, adoration for animals, desire for your sister. It was just “the worlds largest” touching flaunt of that that Ive verified, and it was spur of the moment, it just happened, because thats how these people are.
OConnell truly believesshe “saw it in his eyes that Charlie held on in his final epoches for her, even though she wondered if she had pushed him too far.
I consider despite that seem though, when I look at the pictures, specially the one where the flowers are all around him, I just think he examines so happy in those videos, she said. I just think to myself, despite that find of did I push it very far, or did I coerce him to stay around for this wedding, looking at those constitutes me envision, he just wanted to see that, us come together, and I approximated his mommy be taken care of.
Just a little over a week eventually, Charlie Bear was quietly put to sleep.
He succumbed quietlyat home, in front of the fireplace and surrounded by his family.
As for OConnell, she said having Charlie at her marry, and having photos to remember him by, makes the world.
It was a prodigious time, she said. It was a phenomenal 15 times. Thats for sure.
Rest in peacefulnes, Charlie Bear.