Dog Visits Hospital To Say Goodbye To Her Dying Owner

Their family wanted her to understand why her dad wasn't coming home.

There are perhaps no affections more pure than the love and loyalty this faithful dog named Mollie has for her favorite person - enduring even as he slipped beyond to a place where she could not follow.

Last month, Mollie's owner, 33-year-old Ryan Jessen, was hospitalized after suffering a brain hemorrhage, from which he would not recover. Friends and family gathered by Jessen's bed were all stricken with grief before he finally passed away on November 30, but they still never forgot what he meant to Mollie - and they let his care staff know.

That's when something special happened, as Jessen's sister Michelle describes on Facebook:

"The hospital did the sweetest thing for us and allowed us to bring my brother's dog in to 'say goodbye' so she'd know why her human never came home. If you knew my brother, he really loved his sweet dog."

Here's video of their tender moment.

While the recording of that touching scene was likely intended for folks who knew Jessen, it's struck a chord among people from around the world for so perfectly capturing the love between a man and his dog, and the openheartedness of those who arranged for their final farewell.

"We are sincerely touched and humbled by others' stories, their sharing in our sadness and the kindness of so many people," Michelle writes. "Don't worry about the dog! We're keeping her!!! She's part of the family."

It will no doubt take time for Jessen's family and friends to cope with his loss, but his legacy will live on, especially in the heart of the dog who loved him best.