Mr. P. was a big African-American man with large brown eyes full of tears and a face etched with equal parts relief and worry. He ran into Parker Coliseum, cradling Chewy, a stoic 3-year old, brindle-colored Boxer, in his arms. Chewy had become separated from his family during Hurricane Katrina. Twenty-six days later, on the eve of Hurricane Rita, Chewy found his way home again.

It was immediately evident to all of us that Chewy's condition was serious. He was emaciated and his head drooped. He was too weak to walk and could barely sit upright without being supported by his owner. Yet as Mr. P. bent down to pick up Chewy, he gently encouraged him to "hang in there Buddy;" Chewy wagged his tail and nestled his head into the safety of Mr. P.'s arms. In that instant, I hoped for a miracle. I wanted so much for Chewy to recover and return home with his family.

After being examined at the Parker Coliseum shelter, Chewy was transported to the Louisiana State University College of Veterinary Medicine for emergency medical treatment. Despite the capable and compassionate care provided by the veterinarian's at LSU, it became apparent that Chewy was in liver failure. Mr. P. was advised that euthanasia was the most humane medical treatment option available.

In that instant, I felt incredible sadness and anger at the unfairness of the situation. After all Chewy and Mr. P. had been through, was it so unreasonable to hope for the fairy- tale ending?

As I offered Mr. P. a hug, he looked directly at me and calmly told me how blessed he was for the opportunity to be reunited with Chewy. "We both got our last wish, Doc" he said. "We don't have to worry anymore about one of us being lost, scared, or alone. Now we both know that we're safe."

With that, Chewy wagged his tail one last time as Mr. P. allowed the veterinarian to euthanize Chewy--offering Chewy the greatest gift of all, death with love and peace.
+ + + + + + +

Soon after Katrina's devastation was known to the world, Dr. Tom Rosol, Dean of The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, contacted representatives of Louisiana State University's College of Veterinary Medicine to offer assistance. Within days, Ohio and Louisiana volunteers were deployed to the gulf coast. Their task was to provide medical care for animal survivors and emotional support to human survivors and rescue workers

Our experiences at the emergency animal shelters located at Parker Coliseum in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Lamar-Dixon in Gonzales, Louisiana are difficult to capture with words. Much of what we experienced was expected. Our team often worked 15-20 hour days in temperatures that remained consistently in the 100's. The humidity level rarely fell below 99% creating an oppressive, sauna-like environment. Day after day, volunteers pushed their emotional and physical abilities to their limits; everyone seemed motivated by the need to help rescue and reunite animals and people torn apart by the terrible storm.

Unexpected was the profound sense of awe many of us experienced every day as we witnessed the incredible capacity of humans and animals to survive with grace and courage. The story of Mr. P. and Chewy came from my journal entry of September 24.

Thinking back to Mr. P. I feel privileged and humbled to have witnessed such a powerful and moving display of human-animal bond. Through their concern for each other, Mr. P. and Chewy found the strength to be each other's heroes--ordinary beings doing extraordinary things during extraordinary circumstances.   --By Jennifer Brandt, PhD.

Editor's Note: Dr. Jennifer Brandt is Coordinator of the "Honoring the Bond" program at The Ohio State College of Veterinary Medicine. Her subjects include "Pet Loss: The special grief of children; Coping with the death of a pet; and Guiding clients through difficult decisions (pet euthanasia)." She lecturers across the U.S. to pet-owner groups and veterinary professionals.