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Letter: My dog died, and a stranger showed me incredible compassion

Thank you for comforting me in a moment of immense sadness
natalie-prichard-and-rosie-blurred
Natalie Prichard and her dog Rosie celebrate the day Rosie passed the Canine Good Neighbour Test to become a therapy dog.

Dear Editor:

I wish to express my gratitude to a stranger and her family.

On the morning of Saturday, March 16, my constant companion, soul mate, and beloved therapy dog Rosie suddenly and unexpectedly passed away. Although I raced to Mountainside Animal Hospital, she had already passed.

As I carried her in my arms, yelling for help, a man opened the door for me. There was a woman there as well – her face was full of concern and sympathy. I handed over my pup to the vet then sat down and sobbed. The woman, I’m assuming she was the wife of the man who opened the door, came over and held me while I cried.

She said to me, “You’re all alone. Can I hold you?”

Her son offered me a glass of water. I will never forget this act of compassion to me, a stranger to this family. Your humanity and empathy in that moment mean more than you know.

With so much turmoil in our world, you reminded me that people are good. Like Mr. Roger’s said, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’” Thank you for helping me.

Natalie Prichard
North Vancouver