Spending time with a dog can make you love them quickly. When you’ve been with a dog for 15 years, your bond becomes very strong and special. But as time goes on, it’s natural for dogs to get older and face health issues, which can be really tough for their owners.
This harsh reality was something Dennis Gerard of Jacksonville, Florida, experienced firsthand with his dog, Piper. Having met Piper when he was just a two-year-old pup, Dennis had spent 15 wonderful years with him. However, after Piper’s 17th birthday, signs of his aging became impossible to ignore. The once lively dog now struggled with deafness, blindness, and dementia—common issues in older dogs but nonetheless challenging for Dennis to witness.
The extent of Piper’s deterioration became painfully clear one day when Dennis came home from work. Initially, Piper greeted him as he always did, with dances and kisses, showing his happiness as Dennis walked through the door. But later, as Dennis was making a sandwich, he noticed Piper back in the foyer, waiting to greet him as if he had just arrived. “A half-hour later, I was making a sandwich and watched him wander into the foyer and position himself for me to come through the door again. He was having a bad day and he forgot that I’d just come home. He was waiting for me again, it was so sad,” Dennis recounted during an interview with Newsweek.
Seeing Piper forget that he had already greeted his owner was both touching and saddening for Dennis. “This is one of those things that’s sad and cute at the same time, I love it and I hate it. I am his whole world, and it does bring me great joy seeing how much he loves me,” he explained.
To spread awareness about the unique challenges and rewards of caring for a senior dog, Dennis started posting videos of Piper on social media, particularly on TikTok under the username @dennis.gerard. His posts struck a chord with many, drawing attention and generating heartfelt discussions among viewers. “People can really connect emotionally with posts like this,” said Dennis, noting the positive and uplifting comments from people sharing their own experiences with aging pets.
The emotional impact of Dennis’s videos was evident in the reactions they received. “Why does any of this have to happen to our babies ,” one viewer expressed, reflecting the sorrow felt by many pet owners. Another viewer’s comment, “Awwww Piper!!! You are soooooo loved!!!” showcased the support and love people felt towards Piper. And as another person poignantly put it: “We are the keepers of their souls until it’s time to cross the rainbow bridge…. ❤️,” capturing the sense of responsibility and care that comes with pet ownership.
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Toledo, United States.
