A mother’s post about her adopted son and the loss of a pet is touching the hearts of people around the world.

Robbie, a child who has suffered abuse and neglect and spent years in foster care, can understand how older dogs from asylum centres feel. The longer a child lives in foster care, the harder it is to get them adopted. The same is true for older dogs from asylum centres. Most foster parents want children or puppies, but everyone deserves a loving family.

So when Robbie was adopted by Maria Henry Gay and her husband, the family decided they would only take in older dogs. Even if they can’t spend many more years with the dogs. They still give them love for the rest of their lives. One of the “old” dogs, as the family calls the adopted dogs, was Buffy.

Maria Henry Gay recently shared that her family had to say goodbye to their senior dog after some unexpected news. Maria had taken their dog, Buffy, to the vet for a routine teeth cleaning.

Given Buffy’s age, the veterinarian ran bloodwork first. But the results revealed that Buffy was suffering advanced kidney failure. Maria said that a difficult decision needed to be made.

“…we decided that the kindest and most loving thing to do would be to let her go before she lost her will to live and stopped eating and drinking,” she wrote on Facebook.

After learning they would need to say goodbye to Buffy Maria wanted to make sure her son, Robbie was part of the decision-making and immediately picked him up from school.

Her son Robbie knows much about the hardships facing senior pets in shelters, having gone through a similar experience himself. He spent years in the foster care system where he suffered years of neglect and abuse until Maria and her husband began to care for him.

“Buffy was scheduled to have her teeth cleaned and removed today, but Dr. Mac had a gut feeling she needed to look at some lab work before putting her under anesthesia. She was right; Buffy showed signs of advanced kidney failure so anesthesia was not an option. As a family, we decided that the kindest and most loving thing to do would be to let her go before she lost her will to live and stopped eating and drinking.”

“I wouldn’t have dreamed of leaving my son Robbie out of this decision or not allowing him to be part of the entire process, so I immediately went and picked him up from school.

On the way there, he told me he wanted to be the one to hold her when she went to heaven. And of course, I gave him that honor. On the way home, I told him how proud I was of him for understanding the importance of caring for old animals and helping to make sure they never ever suffer.”

The family was inconsolable, but knew it was the right decision. Maria was very proud of her son and said: “When I got home, I told him how proud I was of him because he understood the importance of taking care of older animals and making sure they never suffered.” to which he replied: “I know what it feels like not to be loved and cared for. I don’t want any of my animals to ever feel that way. It’s sad for us when they get to heaven. For them, it’s a happy day. Thank you for being proud of me. Are you okay, Mom?”

Robbie’s words and actions have not only impressed his parents but many others.

One person commented, “So sorry for the young man and your family. Sounds like he has a good head on his shoulders and a great heart.”

Another said, “He is a special little man. God bless him, and his awesome heart.”

And another reflected on what it’s like to lose a pet, saying, “They give us so much during their too short lives, you gave her a peaceful and kind goodbye in return. You came through when she needed you, even though it hurt. Both of you were very brave today. I’m so sorry about your loss.”

Robbie’s personal experience has given him a wisdom and insight beyond his years. Maria explains that for her son it doesn’t matter how long a dog is in your life, but how much you love them during that time. He pointed out to his mom that she’s “only known me for two years but you love me like it’s been forever.”
This story was submitted to Love What Matters by Maria Henry Gay, and originally appeared here. Adopt, don’t buy!