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GONE VIRAL: Dog says goodbye to his owner

By: Justin Palmer
Justin Palmer is a Certified Pet Food Nutrition Specialist and co-founder of iHeartDogs.com. Inspired by his rescued husky, Splash, he dedicated himself to learning about extending both the length and quality of her life. Splash lived and thrived until 18 years old, and now Justin is on a mission to share what he learned with other dog owners.Read more
| December 24, 2013

mike-petrosino-and-rusty

 

When Mike Petrosino was in the 8th grade, he was diagnosed with cancer and given only a 3% chance of surviving his first year. Miraculously, Mike survived another 8 years, but after the amputation of Mike’s leg, and 4 separate bouts with cancer, it seems the end is near.

4 days ago, while visiting his friend Mike in the hospital, a Reddit user posted a photo of Mike saying goodbye to his longtime family dog Rusty. The photo has since gone viral online, capturing the intense and emotional bond between a dog and his owner. It's not often that a dog must say goodbye to his owner, rather than the other way around. The family has created a fundraising page to help pay for the medical costs associated with Mike's care. UPDATE: We've just learned that Mike is now leaving the hospital to travel home for Christmas to be with his family at his own request. It seems that Mike and Rusty will in fact be together until the very end. Please keep the Petrosino family in your thoughts and prayers this holiday season.

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Sources: Huffington Post, Reddit, GoFundMe  

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