Every day, the residents of a trailer park in Hemet, California would see Ken walking Zack. He was a quiet man, but his love for the dog was obvious.

When people get old, their pets can become the main thing that keeps them going. Zack was what kept Ken around so long, as his neighbors discovered in the worst possible way.

Ken’s neighbor, Carol Burt, used to see Ken and Zack walking his dog around the trailer park now and then. She walked her foster dogs very often, and whenever she crossed their paths, Ken and Carol always share a friendly wave.

Carol could guess that Zack was the only thing that Ken had in the world. But then one day, something terrible happened.

It all started with a frantic banging at Carol’s door. Another neighbor said that there was an emergency at Ken and Zack’s trailer.

Carol asked if it could wait until after dinner, and the neighbor said no. So Carol rushed to Ken and Zack.

Zack was panting for breath. Clearly, the dog was terribly ill. Carol asked if Ken could take Zack to the vet. Ken said that he had no money at all.

Carol said that she would help in any way she could. She posted Ken and Zack’s story onto social media, hoping to raise some money.

Within the hour, a volunteer for a rescue organization named At-Choo Foundation called Carol up.

She said that she would cover all of Zack’s medical expenses and urged Carol and Ken to rush the dog to the vet.

Carol, Ken and Zack got to the vet as soon as they could.

But there was nothing they could do. The vet said that Zack, who was 16-years-old, was too ill. The only thing they could do was put him down.

Ken couldn’t stop crying as he held Zack for the last time. The dog had been the biggest part of Ken’s life for so long. He couldn’t believe that he had to say goodbye.

Carol took a photo of Ken saying goodbye to Zack and posted it onto her social media. The photo touched the hearts of so many people in the town.

Elaine also shared the image. She said that she was going to send Ken a card and asked others to do the same.

Over the next few days, Ken received dozens of cards expressing sympathy for his loss. Ken had thought that Zack was the only thing in the world that cared about him. But now he could see that the people were there for him.

And the cards kept on pouring in from all over the world. People were just that affected by the story. A teacher even got her whole class to write letters to Ken.

Carol kept on checking in on Ken. Even though she had not known Ken well up until that point, she thought that it was important to make sure that he was doing well.

Unfortunately, just a couple of weeks after Zack passed away, Ken suffered from a fatal heart attack. It was clear to Carol that the sudden onset of grief had caused this tragic event.

Ken and Zack’s lives came to abrupt ends.

But at least Ken learned that there were plenty of people out there who sympathized with him and his dog. And that must have meant a lot during Ken’s final days.

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Source: Doggies