Even though our dogs’ activity levels decrease a little as they get older, we do everything we can to ensure that their golden years are filled with joy and no discomfort at all.
One family, however, went out of their way to take care of their elderly dog, even going so far as to rearrange their sleeping patterns so that he could feel appreciated.
Spike is an English springer spaniel that is currently 14 years old. As is the case with most dogs of his age, he is not as mobile as he once was. Recent complications from a second stroke have left him with limited mobility, making it difficult for him to use the staircase.
Unfortunately, this meant that Spike was unable to participate in one of his most beloved hobbies, which was to sleep in bed with his family, as he has done every night since he was a little puppy.
“The first night we got him, we locked the stair gate and went to bed,” Spike’s owner Catherine Morris told The Dodo. “He moaned for a few of minutes before hopping over the fence in the dark and going up into my parents’ room and right up into the bed! And that’s where he slept from then on.”
Since their bedroom was located on the second floor of the building, Spike was unable to visit his favorite area. In spite of his poor condition, he continued to try, so much so that his family had to seal off the stairs in order to prevent him from using them.
But rather than doing that, they came up with a cute solution to the problem: if Spike couldn’t come up and sleep with them, then they would go downstairs and sleep with Spike!
On a rotational basis, different members of the family will put up the pull-out sofa in the basement and spend the night there with Spike. This is done so that the senior dog will always have someone to keep him company.
Catherine found her parents’ new sleeping arrangement when she got home from university, but it didn’t come as a surprise to her since her parents had always had a close connection with Spike.
Catherine told The Dodo that they were completely inseparable from one another. My father refers to him as a “old bean,” and the two of them are usually engaging on a conversation.
“My dad will also bring Spike’s water and food to the couch, and he will feed him by hand in order to ensure that he receives his medications and continues to maintain his vitality.”
Even though Spike is not as youthful as he once was, it is abundantly evident that one thing has remained the same: the love that his family has for him.
They are making it very apparent that they will do whatever it takes to make Spike’s latter years as enjoyable as is humanly possible by doing this act of selflessness.
Catherine shared her feelings when she said, “We love our old buddy so much and are so pleased to have him in our life. We gave him all the love in the world, and we can only hope that this has more than made up for his less than ideal beginning in life.
It is incredible to see the extent that some people would go to in order to keep their pets happy. We are grateful to this family for taking such good care of their elderly dog.
