Give me a paw goodbye: tears of parting over dying pets

They come to our house and become part of the family. They grow up with their children, grow up and grow old before our eyes. Inevitably comes the moment of parting, which is so hard to come by. It is impossible to hold back tears when you look at the departure of your four-legged friend. The hearts of all those who have had or have pets will tremble when viewing these photos. Watch the footage of the last farewell of the owners with their dogs next.

A series of these heartbreaking photos is called "Last Moments" and will bring tears to the eyes of any pet owner. The photo project reveals the depth of the connection between a person and an animal, which, as vividly as possible, manifests itself at the end of a pet's life.

These shots were taken in 2017-2018 by photographers together with dog owners in the Tampa Bay area (Florida). Veterinarians from the clinic "Embrace of Love" (Lap of Love) performed euthanasia at home to alleviate the near-death suffering of animals.

The inspiration for the creation of this series came to photographer Ross Taylor after he watched his girlfriend's unsuccessful struggle to save her dog's life and the subsequent difficult decision to euthanize.Olesya Lykova sobs with heartache after the death of her dog Sam. A minute before, she looked at the doctor Dani McVitie (right) and asked, "Is he dead?", Dani nodded and said, "He got wings."

Her sister Kimberly (left), and veterinarian Neil Wilkins (not in the photo) and two other dogs comfort her.

Lee Zan sits alone on his bed, trying to hide his tears, and holds his friend Spencer in his arms in the last moments of his life. This photo was taken just minutes before Spencer died.

Her husband Drew did his military service abroad. Dani McVitie's doctor comforts her by hugging her and saying, "This is the best medicine we could give him."Heidi the dog looks at Bob Lutz for the last time before he is put down due to an incurable disease. Bob's wife, Cindy, is sitting on the right. Another dog, Vinnie, watches them through the door glass.Darcy Jones (left) talks to doctor Loren Gassler about her dog. Allie was already 15 years old and he suffered from a lack of coordination and was fighting cancer. Dr. Gassler came to Mrs. Jones' house to offer to spend the rest of the time together with her pet.

Vanessa Gangadyal comforts her son, 8-year-old Jan, while her husband, Michael Gangadyal strokes their dog, Ellie, a few minutes after she fell asleep. Founded by Dani McVitie, the organization "Embraces of Love" cooperates with the veterinary clinic "Caring Pathways", carrying out the procedure of euthanasia at home so that pets can painlessly leave this world.Wendy Lehr hugs her dog Mimosa, who after a while will leave this world surrounded by the whole family.

Taylor expresses great gratitude to those who work in the "Embrace of Love" and "Caring Way", adding:

It is impossible to look at these sad moments of farewell without tears. It is very difficult to let go of pets with whom you share joy and sadness, whom you remember as playful puppies, and who were devoted to you to the end. Maybe somewhere a dog's paradise awaits them, in which they frolic on green lawns and gnaw sugar bones.