19-year-old dog Schoep in a cradle in Johns hands

Touching photo – 19-year-old dog Schoep in a cradle in John’s hands

19-year-old dog Schoep in a cradle in John’s hands
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Photographer Hannah Stonehouse Hudson learned that one of her picture may be worth 2.2 million views, 191,162 Likes and more than 22 000 comments on the social network Facebook. This 19-year-old dog Schoep is as in a cradle in the hands of John, who carries his 19-year-old dog into the warm waters of the Lake Superior every night, to make him fall sleep. Swimming in the water soothes arthritis and floating in the water helps him ease the pain. Lake Superior is very warm at this time, so the water temperature is ideal. John saved Schoep when he was eight-month-old puppy, and since then they have gone through many adventures together.

Schoep has been getting joint laser treatments, which reduce pain and swelling while healing the animal’s limbs, as well as pain medication from the Bay Area Animal Hospital

update 20 July 2013:
The arthritic dog who became an internet sensation after picture of his owner soothing him in a lake went viral has died a month after he turned 20.

John Unger, owner of Schoep the German Shepherd, announced his pet’s death by posting a photograph of a paw print in the sand on Facebook with the caption: ‘I breathe but I can’t catch my breath’.

19-year-old dog Schoep in a cradle in Johns hands

Poor 19-year-old dog Schoep feels better in water

After an image of Schoep being soothed by his owner went viral, he gained a cult following

Birthday boy Shoep celebrated his second decade on June 15, surpassing medical expectations

The Schoep Legacy Foundation has raised more than $25,000 to help low-income families care for their aging dogs thanks to donations from people as far away as Saudi Arabia and Japan

John Unger, Schoep’s owner, took his beloved pet into the lake so that the water could sooth his arthritic pain

Thanks to the generosity of strangers, Schoep received top-notch care in the last few weeks of his life

Underneath the picture, which gained 24,000 likes and 49,000 comments within hours, he wrote simply: ‘Schoep passed yesterday. More information in the days ahead.’

He and his ex-fiancée had been searching for a rescue dog for a year, going to dozens of humane societies

Mr Unger adopted Schoep, who’s name origins in famous brand of Wisconsin ice cream, when he was just a puppy

Owner Mr Unger, photographer Mrs Hudson, and veterinarian Dr Haukass formed Schoep’s Legacy Foundation

Schoep has been getting joint laser treatments, which reduce pain and swelling while healing the animal's limbs, as well as pain medication from the Bay Area Animal Hospital

The dog has been getting joint laser treatments, which reduce pain and swelling while healing the animal’s limbs, as well as pain medication from the Bay Area Animal Hospital