A heart-wrenching photo tells the story of a loyal dog found by his friend’s side Sunday morning in Dallas.
"He’s obviously being loyal to a friend who passed away and he’s mourning," animal advocate Julie Fennell said.
Volunteers rushed to rescue the Great Pyrenees Sunday after a photo surfaced on social media showing the dog standing guard over a deceased dog.
The photo, taken by Samuel Flores, shows the dog next to another dog who appears to have died after being hit by a car, according to Fennell. The scene unfolded across the street from the Dallas Fort Worth National Cemetery.
"He was just kind of sitting guard, like a statue, just sitting there watching over his friend’s body," Fennell said, "it really looks like she was hit in the road, you can see the blood in the road, and it looks like he drug her up onto the grass out of the road."
Flores posted the photo on Fennell’s Facebook page and she shared it with a Dallas animal advocacy group. A volunteer, Jessy Fairferlick, rushed to the scene to help the dog until Fennell arrived to assist.
Nobody seems to know the dog’s story, if he is a stray living on the streets or if he recently got away from his owners; rescuers say he was very calm and loving. They also don’t know his relationship with the dog he seemed so dedicated to protecting.
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"He made a friend," Fennell said, "Whether it was his companion in his yard at home or whether they met up as strays, but something made him stay by her side."
Fennell took the Great Pyrenees to Dallas Animal Services for help. He did not have a collar or microchip implant. He will be held for at least 72 hours to see if an owner will come forward to claim him. If not, he’ll be released to SPIN rescue, a group focused on the rescue of Great Pyrenees dogs, according to Fennell.
