Ken-an old man dies shortly after his dog passed away

For 80-year-old Ken Pendagraft, his dog of 14 years offered him a reason to go out

Ken being a dedicated owner dies of a broken heart shortly after his faithful dog passed away

The bond between a human being and his pet can be so strong. This means that the death of one of them can have truly tragic consequences for the other. When four-legged friend and owner are inseparable, sudden loss can be fatal. As, perhaps, it was for the elderly Ken. A man has always lived in the town of Hemet, in California, always in the company of his loyal Zack. Zack was a 16-year-old dog. He thought he was all alone in the world after losing his only friend. However, then the world showed him otherwise.

Ken had lived with his beloved dog in a trailer park for years. They were living from day to day and with very little money to be able to afford food and medicines. One day his neighbor from the trailer park knocked on Ken’s door, but the latter did not answer. Eventually, neighbor Burt opened the door and immediately saw a moving scene. Ken was crying, knowing his dog needed help. Unfortunately,  he had no money to pay the vet, and so the old man was hugging poor Zack in tears.

Burt didn’t think twice, and decided to post the photo of this extremely moving moment on the internet, to find someone who could help both of them. At this request for help, the At-Choo Foundation intervened, but they could do nothing for poor Zack: he was too old and too sick to respond well to treatment, and in the end he passed away.

Shortly thereafter, Ken passed away from a heart attack, and many believe it was either the pain caused by the loss of the beloved dog, or a tragic twist of fate. Nobody will ever know for sure, the fact is that the departure from this world of these two practically inseparable friends really moved everyone.

Avatar for Andrea Parss

Andrea Parss is a writer at Animal Club where her primary focus is on anthrozoology, conservation, human-animal relationships. Andrea has been writing and researching animals for over ten years and has decades of hands-on experience working with a variety of different animals.

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