The dog had been there in moments of joy and in hours of despair, as if sensing everything that was happening in his master’s soul.

And now the veterinarians gave no hope, quietly saying that treatment was impossible, that the animal was suffering, and that the only way was to end its pain. For the man, it sounded like a sentence not only for the dog, but for himself as well.

He asked for a few minutes before the procedure.

Sitting down beside him, he hugged his friend and, unable to hold back his tears, whispered:

— Forgive me, buddy. Forgive me for not giving you the life you deserved. I love you. Forgive me… I don’t know how to live on. It hurts so much. I don’t want you to leave.