A Veteran And His Loyal Dog Died Hours Apart.
Gunner Can’t Be Without a Dad. I Think He Chose To Go With Him.
When Daniel Hove was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, his family and friends stepped forward to help Air Force veteran turned assistant fire chief through this difficult time.
But no one is more supportive than Daniel’s loyal dog Gunner, an 11-year-old Labrador that rarely leaves his owner.
Photos from Daniel’s later years show the dog faithfully snuggled up against him in bed and curled up in his lap, despite being a 90-pound dog. Whatever the case, Gunner made sure he was never more than a few inches away.
Heather Nicoletti, Daniel’s daughter, told Kare 11: “They were best friends until the end. They go after close friends, they go everywhere together.”
So it’s really no surprise that when Daniel was lying down, his loyal dog was suddenly sick as well.
“When my dad is restless, the dog is restless, my father is restless, the dog is restless,” his daughter said, recalling that her father and Gunner were always in tune. “My father did not react, the dog did not react. So when we saw the dog’s condition – he wasn’t moving much, he wasn’t feeling well – we knew it was coming.
One day, as the old dog became increasingly listless and his arms began to swell, Heather sadly knew it was time to put Gunner down. “I called the veterinary clinic where I work,” she said, “and they let me in right away and I rushed him there, put him to sleep. And about an hour and a half later, my father. also leave.
But no matter how traumatic the thought of losing a father – a loving father, a loyal veteran, a lovable member of the community, a mentor and a loyal friend to all he met – Heather was comforted by the fact that his father, at least, never had to say goodbye to his beloved dog. Such a separation would be equally heartbreaking for Gunner, who could never bear to be away from his best friend.
Heather said: “I said I don’t know what would be more traumatizing for him. “Try to get him to his destination – to put him to sleep – to end his suffering, or if you let him live through his father’s death. I think either way it’s fine. will kill him. We know that” they will go together. We just didn’t know there would be hours.
“Gunner couldn’t be without my dad,” Heather said. “I think he chose to go with her.”
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