When This Dog’s Owner passed, He Waited For Long Time Under A Shed Until His Owner’s Homecoming

Death is often difficult for humans to accept, but occasionally it's even harder for animals. It was for this reason that one dog waited on his owner for a long time after he had passed. Sadly, however, it seemed that the pet's touching loyalty only worsened his heartache. That was until two strangers arrived at his watch post. In 2014, non-profit animal rescue group Hope for Paws received a call about a small poodle named Woody. He had been living as a stray for a year, but now someone had finally called Paws about his situation. Consequently, the rescue group sent a team out right away. Paws' co-founder Eldad Hagar and his friend Lisa Chiarelli decided to search for Woody at his last known location. It didn't take them long to find him, however. In fact, he was right where they expected him to be, near his dead owner's house. You see, he wasn't always a stray. When Woody's owner died, the family sold the house and left Woody behind. A video uploaded to Paws' YouTube account explained. For a year, he waited under a nearby shed, hoping his owner would return. But not everyone had forgotten the dedicated doggy. Despite avoiding human contact for a long time, Woody didn't go hungry. Knowing about his predicament, his caring neighbors had left the loyal pooch with the food and water he needed to survive. Then they set about searching for someone to help him. The broken look in his eyes as he sat waiting for an owner that would never come was heartbreaking. That's when hope for Paws came in. Chiarelli carefully placed a gentle snare over Woody's head. And amazingly, the little dog barely resisted. At first, Woody planted himself firmly in his hiding place. But after some gentle tugging, he relented. The pining pup put up a brief struggle at the edge of the shed before realizing help had finally come. At last, he was ready to be rescued. Subsequently, for the first time in 12 months, it seemed that Woody was feeling a sensation that he likely barely recognized. Affection. He was so scared. But five seconds after we got the leash around him, he surrendered to our gentle touch," Hagar wrote on Facebook. Getting a closer look at Woody, Hagar could tell something was wrong with his vision. "'I realized he was blind in one eye,' he explained. Sadly, however, that wasn't the only evidence of suffering they uncovered. First, though, they needed to get him somewhere safe. If the Paws team had any fear that Woody would escape, it quickly vanished in the face of his love for human contact. He just basked in the affection the pair gave to him. Specifically, Woody seemed to have fallen in love with Chiarelli, the woman who pulled him out from under the shed. It was when the rescue duo got the little dog into the car that they realized just how weak he was, however. His waiting had taken its toll." Indeed, Woody was actually very malnourished, but it was hard to tell because of his overgrown fur. "'He was so skinny you could feel every bone in his body,' Hagar said on the YouTube rescue video." So, in order to get a good look at Woody's condition, Hagar needed to shave the poor pup. Because Woody had spent so long with his thick fur, you would have thought that he'd have objected to having it removed. However, he didn't resist at all, sitting quietly while his rescuers shaved him. Incredibly, he looked completely different afterwards. And after his physical transformation, Woody was ready to begin healing both his body and soul. It had been so long since he'd had a proper meal, but the little dog showed no interest in food. Instead, he had to be sustained using an IV drip. Despite his shaky start down the road to recovery, though, Woody was finally in the arms of people who loved him. He had every reason to get better, and as his spirit healed, so too did his body. What's more, his damaged eyesight returned. And so, after Woody's recovery, there was just one step left—finding him a forever home. Owing to how much attention his rescue was getting, it didn't look like Woody would have very long to wait. His official rescue video has over 12 million views to date. Nevertheless, while Woody was waiting to be adopted, a familiar face offered him a place to rest his head. Chiarelli had fallen for the poodle's charms, and so Woody found himself with two adopted sisters to play with. He was finally experiencing life with a family again. Woody also got to experience being a fur baby once more. It was love at first sight for the Californian couple Dennis and Debbie Hickey and their dog JT, who adopted the poodle into their home. Hope for Paws took Woody to stay with his new family in July 2014. And during the two years he spent with them, the Hickeys showered Woody with love and affection. Tragically, though, in the spring of 2016, the little dog fell ill. His new human friends did all they could for him, but he passed away in early 2017. His owners wrote on Facebook, It's with a heavy and broken heart that we tell you that Woody crossed over the bridge to the rainbow this afternoon. He went very quickly and peacefully in our arms. And in the same way that Woody missed his dead owner, his new owners were now missing him. After touching so many hearts, little Woody will never be forgotten.