Anybody who has ever gone through the death of a beloved pet knows how hard it is.
It’s more than just losing a pet – it’s like losing a member of the family. It can be even harder if you or your family member has to make the decision to euthanize an animal. Even though you know you are saving your furry friend from a lot of pain and discomfort, it is an absolutely heartbreaking situation to find yourself in.
That’s what the Navid family had to go through recently, and it wasn’t easy for them. Kevin Navid brought their German Shepherd, Charlie, home when she was just a small puppy with a lot of love to give. The family adored her immediately, even after she threw up on Navid’s wife, Penny – twice.
The dog grew up with the family, offering her love and support constantly.
Not only was she loving and playful when everything was great, but she was also a huge source of support when things weren’t going that well.
When Penny Navid was diagnosed with cancer, Charlie seemed to know that something was wrong. She would lick the side of Penny’s head, ensuring her that she was by her side and that everything was going to be okay. During a time of such significant stress in the family, Charlie knew just what to do to brighten everyone’s mood and help her owner feel better. The family was unbelievably grateful for the dog’s support and grew even closer to her during Penny’s battle with breast cancer and chemotherapy.
Charlie always had a sweet and gentle demeanor with everyone she met.
However, the family believed that she had the ability to be a great police dog. Since she was the breed most police use for various tasks, the Navids thought she would have been a worthy candidate who could have helped save people’s lives.
However, in April, the Navids found out that Charlie was suffering from a brain tumor. After some deliberation, the family knew that the best thing for their beloved pet would be euthanasia. They didn’t want her to suffer any more than she already was and made the difficult decision to put her down. This is a hard choice for any family, but after Charlie had shown them so much love and support during Penny’s illness, it was an especially difficult decision to make.
Before they put her down, the whole family wanted to make sure that she had the best day of her life.
Penny, Kevin, and his daughters held a full day of celebrations for the pup. First, Charlie was given a burger and some ice cream from a local restaurant. Then, they even got her a rib-eye steak to eat. This dog who had been feeling and acting so sick perked right up, happy to be able to eat such delicious meals. The family said that they hadn’t seen her that happy and upbeat in such a long time.
Coincidentally, during their outing, the family came across a local police officer from the Denton Police Department named Jim Bryan. When they told him about Charlie’s situation and asked for a picture, the officer happily agreed and posed for a picture with the dog. However, the family was later surprised to find out that Bryan had posted the picture on the police department’s Facebook, naming Charlie an honorary K9 officer.
This small gesture meant so much to the Navid family, and Officer Bryan was happy to have made Charlie’s last day a little brighter. After their full day of celebrations and achieving Charlie’s lifelong dream, her family put her to rest.
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