Shelter Dog Meal Donation Count:

Learn More

Family Receives Letter From “Angel” After 18-Year-Old Dog Passes Away

Written by: Molly Weinfurter
Molly Weinfurter is a writer for iHeartDogs, and she’s passionate about helping animals in need. She volunteers for Bailing Out Benji and a local dog rescue.Read more
| Published on March 3, 2022

No matter how old a dog is, their death will always be jarring and heartbreaking. It’s hard to accept that the moment before they’re put down is the last time they’ll be with you on Earth. Luckily, most vets understand how soul-crushing this experience is, so they try to be as comforting as possible.

One vet went above and beyond to make sure a grieving family got the closure they needed. After they said goodbye to their 18-year-old dog named Sunny, they received a detailed letter in the mail, assuring them that their furry friend had made it to heaven. The note warmed the hearts of the devastated family.

Dog tired and old

A Letter From an Angel

After Sunny passed away, the family received the letter in the mail. It was sent from the vet’s office, but it said it was from “Helper.”

One family member shared the emotional letter on Reddit. It reads:

Hello. My name is Helper. I am an angel. There are a lot of angels in Heaven and we all have different jobs. My job is to write to people and let them know that their pets have arrived in Heaven. One of the head angels told me that you were worried about Sunny and asked me to write to you about him.

You will be happy to know that Sunny arrived recently and is doing just swell. I know that he was ill when he was with you. He had gotten very old, and when you get old, your body is not as strong as it used to be. Sunny was tired and I think maybe he knew that it was time to come here. And it is a good thing that he did because now he is not old anymore and he isn’t sick either. In fact, I saw him just a little while ago and he was running and jumping with some other dogs and having a great time.

Girl kissing dog

Sunny misses you and hopes that you understand he had to come here. I am sure that one day Sunny will be there to greet you when you come here and you will have a grand reunion. Until then, we will keep him busy and happy. Here we don’t have time like you do. It never gets dark. It is just one long day. And everyone here is your friend, so don’t worry. Sunny is not ever going to be lonely. Some day when he sees you again, it will be like you were never apart.

Again, don’t feel sad. Sunny is just fine. He is happy and he sends his love to you.

Vets Share Their Experiences

Many people were emotional after reading the letter. This vet truly went above and beyond to let the family know that Sunny loved them. On Reddit, several vets commented to explain how they related to this vet’s gesture.

They said the hardest part of their job is putting down a pet that was such a big part of a family’s life. Sometimes, they’ll have a different employee do it at the last minute because they don’t want to be crying harder than the family.

Kid outside with dog

“One of the most memorable experiences for me was this sweet old widow and her friend. They both quietly sobbed while we put down her senior dog. We gave them time alone afterwards with him, and after 10 minutes, they exited the room and closed the door quietly behind them. I went in to prepare her pet for the next step, and the dog was covered in beautiful handpicked field flower bouquets. Maybe they had a little ceremony for him. It brings tears to my eyes every time I think of this, and now whenever I have to euthanize a pet, I try to pick some flowers along the way,” a vet wrote.

Losing a pet is heartbreaking, but it’s good to have people to comfort you. Life without your furry friend might be difficult, but it’s important to remember that they had the greatest life possible because of your kindness.

H/T: mirror.co.uk

Recent Articles

Interested in learning even more about all things dogs? Get your paws on more great content from iHeartDogs!

Read the Blog