One man, one dog, one Facebook photo that has touched thousands of hearts

[Are_grits_groceries]

A photo may be worth 1,000 words, but professional photographer Hannah Stonehouse Hudson has learned it can also be worth 2.2 million views, 191,162 likes, 108,766 shares and 21,936 comments (and counting) on Facebook.

"My specialty is documenting relationships, whether it's a wedding or a man and his dog," says the Bayfield, Wis., photographer. "I have known my friend John and his dog, Schoep, for six years. I have seen Schoep age -- he's 19 now. John lives his life in a kind way. He rescued this dog as a puppy, they have gone everywhere together ever since. Schoep has arthritis now, and John finds that the water is therapeutic. He is the kind of person who wants his animals to be comfortable. I wanted to capture their relationship. I told John, 'I really need to get photos of you and your dog.'

Last Tuesday, we met at the beach for the photo. While John swam with the dog, I got on the dock so I could be at eye level. It took five minutes.

"In the shot, the dog is completely relaxed, with his head on John's shoulder, eyes closed, out cold. John's eyes are closed, too. The water is calm. It's completely serene.
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http://www.twincities.com/ci_21254327?refresh=no

Absolutely beautiful!

[DainBramaged]

1. A man and his dog, there is no explanation needed...

[montanacowboy]

2. OMG how beautiful

this is the best part of the life we have

[freshwest]

13. +1,000

[roguevalley]

42. I have never lived my life without dog(s) in it. I shudder to think what sort of person I would

be without the company of dogs. My last dog is laying on the bed beside me, seventeen, blind and deaf. Pippin is my friend, the last one to remember what it was like when the other four were still with us along with my parents. When he's gone an entire way of life will go with him. For the first time in my life I will be without someone to take care of and who remembers better days with me.

Dogs are truly god vessels. They are incomparable love. I could not live my life without one. I may wait a while before I get a new one. That one will find me. It will be a sad wait.

What a lovely beautiful moment.

[sweetloukillbot]

54. I like to say that I was a cat person until I owned a dog...

When my wife and I adopted our first dog five years ago it changed my life. We've rescued six since then, gave one to a friend's elderly mother who spent her last four years with that dog as her constant companion. My wife and I have had a lot of shakeups over the past five years, including job losses, bankruptcy, foreclosure, and illness, but the hardest thing I've had to do was stand with one of my dogs as he was put to sleep...

[roguevalley]

55. I hear you. I have dachshunds and if you keep their teeth clean they can live forever

I have lost four of my five in the last five years, two of them three weeks apart this January and February. It is hard as can be. Hugs, honey for all your troubles. Hang in there. Good will come. Dogs love you.

[Patiod]

61. I work at home with my 13-yo dachshund in his little bed next to my computer

Old dogs are such a blessing.

He adds so much joy to our lives.

[Inuca]

72. You used to have

an absolutely wonderful picture of a dachsund as your avatar or signature, right? I think I commented on it several years ago, and I do not remember what you replied, except that it very beautifully worded and perfectly expressed your love and respect for your little friend.

[roguevalley]

80. I do. that was my beautiful tippy. I'm going to find and put that back on. My computer

change over screwed my picture file.

[marew]

62. So agree!

If dogs don't go to heaven, I want to go where they go.

Now that I am older myself, I have kept the ashes of my three most recently departed best friends. I have two rescues now who are the light of my life. I have instructions that any dogs' ashes I have and mine be mixed together after my death. I am leaving my house to friend who will move here and take care of any that outlive me. Yes, of course I've had lots of human friends but there is something so singularly special about our relationships with our canine friends. As someone said a long time ago about their rescue dog, "I'm not sure who rescued who!" I could not agree more!

My dogs are so kind and good! My girl, several years ago, so gently brought in a baby bird from the back yard that must have been blown out of the nest during a storm. We all got into the car immediately and took the baby bird to the SPCA. They said the baby bird would do fine, thank heaven.

[lunatica]

60. My 15 year old dog died a few weeks ago

It's devastating. I had no intention of getting another pet but this cat decided he was going to live in my house and adopted me. I tried to find the owner but no one called. He's now part of the household. And so far he isn't interested in going outside so I'm going to make him an indoor cat. We live right next to a State Park which has wild animals and too many cats have disappeared in the area.

[auburngrad82]

78. We lost a sixteen year old in April

It's really tough because they ARE members of your family. Fortunately we are a multi-dog household, so the other dogs were there for us.

Since my wife and I joined forces in 1994 we've had seven dogs, only three of them are gone. One lived to be 12 years old (pretty remarkable considering she was a very large dog), the next one lived to be 14, and the most recent was 16. They were all with us from puppyhood on.

We have four more, all pretty large (50-80 pound range) and we love 'em all. But that means we'll be going through the same situation at least four more times. But what are the options? We can't see ourselves without dogs.

[roguevalley]

79. I don't believe in coincidences, lunatica. That cat came to you because you needed it. :D

[sad sally]

77. We give dogs time we can spare, space we can spare and love we can spare.

And in return, dogs give us their all. It's the best deal man/woman has ever made.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. Aww.

[dipsydoodle]

4. Great shot

[Angry Dragon]

5. .............

[warrior1]

6. sweet

[Le Taz Hot]

7. Look at the baby!

That's just precious. Thanks for sharing.

[Scuba]

8. Beautiful, thanks for posting.

[malaise]

9. Lovely

Thanks Grits

[xxqqqzme]

10. I cannot even count

how many times this has shown up on my page. It was there again to day when I logged on.


It is such a beautiful picture. It needs no words.

[charlie]

11. Oh my, that's wonderful

It was these dog-buddy pics though, that made me verklempt like no others:

[Flaxbee]

22. aw, man.

where are those from? Look at that love and companionship; probably the only thing keeping that young man together emotionally is his pup.

[charlie]

23. I don't know they're from originally

The pics had their moment a few years ago when they were everywhere.

[Luminous Animal]

27. Pets of the Homeless...

Pets of the Homeless is a nonprofit volunteer organization that provides pet food and veterinary care to the homeless and less fortunate in local communities across the United States and Canada. Our efforts have effects far beyond the care of the pets themselves.

Their website:
http://www.petsofthehomeless.org/

Their Flickriver site:
http://www.flickriver.com/groups/petsofthehomeless/pool/random/

[Chorophyll]

46. Damn. Thanks for this link, Luminous Animal.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

39. Beautiful.

I've seen them before, but they're still beautiful.

Thank you for posting these.

[roguevalley]

43. phenomenal, charlie. when i seem them, i see Jesus somehow and the dog for me

represents every poor lost unknown person who lives. What incredible passion and love in these images.

[charlie]

47. I don't see Jesus

(atheist here), but I certainly hear what you're saying. The quiet communion of two who have little more than each other is a heart piercing sight.

[roguevalley]

56. it is life distilled down to its purest essence. :)

[MuseRider]

12. This is what it is all about. n/t

[xchrom]

14. The love of a Good Dog...

[spanone]

15. k&r...

[beac]

16. Beautiful.

Thanks for posting it for us non-FBers to enjoy.

[onecent]

17. There are no words for the love of a man and his dog.

Lovely lovely picture!!!!!!!!

[RebelOne]

18. Totally heartwarming.

I did all I could to keep my Rottweiler comfortable in her last days. I would have taken her swimming, but she hated water.

[roguevalley]

44. bless your heart, RebelOne and your sweet dog. I love rotties.

[Astazia]

19. All my children have paws.....

These photos are priceless! I have four & one is almost 13 & a seeing eye/assistance dog. Once I learn how to upload pics & text, I'll share them with y'all. I saved these pics from here for my screen saver. Thanks for sharing them!

[Tikki]

31. Hi Welcome to DU...and please share doggie pictures..

Any pet...
I love to see other's best friends...



Tikki

[Stinky The Clown]

20. Among words that popped into my head are: poetic beautiful unconditional serene mutual

I saw the words through wet eyes.

[derby378]

21. Awwwwwwww... (n/t)

[Bozita]

24. Great post!

Absolutely beautiful!

[Chemisse]

25. Just lovely.

[Iwillnevergiveup]

26. Would you all excuse me for a moment

while I love up my chihuahua a bit? She's looking at me, you see.

[smirkymonkey]

28. What a beautiful, heatwarming photograph!

brought tears to my eyes. I love dogs more than anything and I love people who love their dogs!

[SammyWinstonJack]

34. +1!

[Ishoutandscream2]

29. Beautiful. And what a great owner

Those two look inseparable. I know it will be hard when his baby goes to heaven.

[hlthe2b]

30. Sniff sniff.

I'm too choked up to speak (or write)

[Booster]

32. Just a glimpse of this picture & my heart jumps. I love this man for doing whatever it takes to

make his best friend comfortable. Just beautiful.

[mercymechap]

33. Priceless!

[lucca18]

35. This is love.....so beautiful!! nt

[Liberal_in_LA]

36. cute pic

[Brigid]

37. *sniff*

This is the most touching photo I have seen in a long time. These are moments for John to store up and treasure, since at 19 Schoep won't be around much longer.

[Thor_MN]

38. One thing no one has commented on: That is Lake Superior.

It is very warm this summer...

[Brickbat]

69. Well, there are also always spots that are warmer than others.

[Flatulo]

40. Wonderful, just wonderful.

I've recently been blessed with the companionship of a female chocolate lab pup named Skyler. We're pretty much inseparable, and she is the love of my life. I've been following the Zak George philosophy of dog training, which eschews dominance and control in favor of love and communication. Skyler is an amazing animal, and I hope we can enjoy each other for a very long time.

I cherish every minute I spend with her, and I think she understands this.

[kellytore]

41. I just gave my dog Precious a hug, with tears rolling down my face.

[Chorophyll]

45. The expressions on both of their faces...

Just lovely.

There's nothing better (hotter) than a long-haired, gentle man who radiates kindness.

[complain jane]

48. Love this picture.

I first saw it on Facebook and read the story and really, really hoped it wasn't bs (as so many viral things often are). So glad to see that it's legit. There really are beautiful people in the world and I hope I never have to live without the love of an animal. They are the most precious, amazing, fascinating, beautiful beings. I gave my cats extra love and snuggles and playtime after seeing this.

[AtomicKitten]

49. It is beautiful to see a critter so loved.

Last edited Wed Aug 8, 2012, 11:34 PM - Edit history (1)

19 years for a dog that size is precious borrowed time.

[just1voice]

50. Bet the dog has a facebook account

like at least 83 million other fake facebook losers.

[OnyxCollie]

51. Home five minutes and I'm crying.

Sigh.

[sonias]

52. It got me too

There is just so much trust in that relationship - that and love.

Makes me want to cry. for the beauty of it.

[Politicub]

53. Ok... You got me!

The photographer is extremely talented. My eyes welled up with tears.

People who love and care about dogs are good people.

[Are_grits_groceries]

57. I printed a couple of copies of this.

I put them up where I am likely to be in my apartment. If I am irritated, sad, etc, looking at it automatically makes me smile. It is a sure fire way to break a mood before it really gets rolling.
A lot of times, causing that break can make a huge difference.

[Major Hogwash]

58. That's a great picture. Rescue dogs is a great organization.

Dogs are so funny, it's like they want to be human.
They act like they want to drive our cars, date our women, and then watch the game on tv with us and then tell us which play they think the coach should have just called when the team fails to make the first down during the football game.

Dogs and cats are great animals that give love, companionship, and emotional support to human beings.
There is no doubt that humans can be easily trained by them.
I, myself, have been trained in no time by many cats and dogs that have shared this etheral plane with me over the years.

[lunatica]

59. Makes me choke up

[Uncle Joe]

63. That photo does capture pure love.

Thanks for the thread, grits.

[lumberjack_jeff]

64. Dogs and people are symbiotic.

Humans wouldn't have become the dominant critter without help from dogs.

[bleedinglib]

65. Great pic!!

My Granddaughter came too visit us in calif. one year & I agreed to get her a turtle from the pet store, well we came home with a pound puppy instead. She named him Copper. She went home in 2 weeks & we were stuck with this puppy. 14 years later I had too put him down with failing kidneys. OMG, for 3 years now I have been grieving over that dog. He was part of the family. I swore I would never get another dog.
Well, we now have 2 Pugs that we rescued from bad situations. Their names are Maggie & Debbie, they make life a lot more interesting. They seem too enjoy making us laugh by doing stupid things. They feed off our laughter. I know one day what is coming, but I wouldn't trade those years for anything. There's never a dull or lonely moment with my girls around.
When I come back in my next life, I'm going too open a pet store! That's where all the money is. (joke)

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

66. As I sit here typing from th emergency room. I realize I shouldn't have tried that with my cat. nt

[mindfulNJ]

67. HA!!!!

Good one!


Just adding that the pic made me cry too..made me think of my sweet old lab I lost last year.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

68. I'm really sorry.

[mindfulNJ]

70. Thank you:)

I have a new lab who wears me out now

[Inuca]

71. Another one with teary eyes...

Mysweet springer spaniel puppy is 12 and recently he started suffering from arthritis quite badly.... a few times in recent weeks I came hoem to find in such bad shape because he was not able to get up that I thought that my time with him is truly coming to an end. I can't even envisage my life without him, but he has been such a wonderful friend that I owe him not to let him suffer too much. He is better now, not good, but better... Anyway... incredibly moving picture. Thanks!

[luv_mykatz]

73. I liked and shared this photo when I saw it on a FB page that I read.

Loved the photo and caption.

I love to see compassion and kindness, as well as love and devotion being enacted and expressed.

I love to help my cat's body feel more comfortable: flea combing; grooming her, and massaging her spine; cat nip @ once per week; raw natural food; a small hot pad for her to sleep on, now that she is aging.

These kinds of photos touch us all...thank you for posting.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

74. Here's a video of them that was on the local news this evening:

http://www.kare11.com/news/article/986299/391/Meet-the-Bayfield-man-and-dog-behind-viral-photo

[LNM]

75. Kick. nt

[get the red out]

76. Perfect

I honestly don't think I comprehended love as much until we adopted our puppy two years ago. What she's brought to our lives in that short time is unbelievable. The love is beyond description, this photo says it better than words.

[great white snark]

81. Weekend kick.