Old And Deaf Dog Found With His Dead Owner In Their House

Back in 2019, police brought a senior Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Ricky to an animal shelter in Germany. 

We saw a very desperate, older male dog. He was panting excitedly and his gaze was completely blank. It turned out that Ricky lived alone with his owner. When the dog barked all night, neighbors informed the police, who found his owner dead in the apartment, with Ricky lying next to her!

When the police entered the apartment, they found that the dog’s owner had passed away. Unfortunately, the woman had no immediate family who could take, so he ended up in the shelter.

This was heartbreaking for shelter staff as the dog was old, weak, and deaf. Not to mention he’d never known life outside of his home with his owner. Despite this, the little dog followed the animal care staff into his kennel with great enthusiasm.

We’re actually completely full, but of course we wanted to help Ricky. Still, it was like a stab in the heart. An old, wise dog who no longer understands the world and is unspeakably sad. Very unsteady on his legs and deaf, he trotted behind the employee to his “new home”, a kennel.

We experience a lot every day and most of us have now developed a “thick skin”. They can’t let everything get too close to them, otherwise would break ourselves at some point. Actually they don’t know whether this dog will ever find a home again.

They are sure that Ricky was very loved and had a very close relationship with his owner. In adittion they will see if his owner might come back and pick him up. There are times that he is so exhausted, lies down briefly and falls asleep.

Today he was examined by our vet. His bones are starting to bother him a bit. He no longer has much muscle and no longer sees or hears well. But completely normal at that age and no reason to put him to sleep. He can still go for short walks, but should not climb stairs.

Her honest words made us sad: “You have to find a hospice place for him. He still has quality of life, but you can’t say for how long. It could be in two months, maybe only in six, or in a year”.

Ricky is 15 years old and friendly to all people and dogs too. Ricky is currently receiving Gastro Intestinal food mixed with senior wet food to protect his intestines a little. But the gastro food is unfortunately coming to an end.