Last minutes with Oden the Dog

Sure, I’m stuffed into a dog’s body, but that’s just the shell. It’s what’s inside that’s important. The soul. And my soul is very human.

This quote is from Enzo, the philosophical dog who believes he is destined to be human in his next life. He is also the storyteller of the great novel, The Art of Racing in the Rain. After the book was highly recommended by a couple of friends, I cozied up at a coffee shop this past weekend and read the novel straight through. I couldn’t stop. I found so much familiarity in Enzo and his viewpoint quite intriguing and his heart so very human – but pure. The story begins on the eve of Enzo’s last day of life and recounts his entire days with his family. A truly great story and an even greater tool in letting go of our pups who mean so incredibly much to us. I couldn’t recommend this book more.

I wanted to share about Enzo because of the video below. I was sent this video today and it’s such a touching story that I couldn’t not share it with fellow animal lovers. This brief documentary shares the last minutes of Oden the dog‘s life. I will warn you – it is very emotional. It does, however, celebrate the deep bond we’re capable of having with dogs (and other animals alike) and how pure that connection is. Elizabeth Gilbert wrote in Eat Pray Love, In a world of disorder and disaster and fraud, sometimes only beauty can be trusted. The relationship showed in this video between the man and his dog, is simply that – beautiful. Oden, rest in peace sweet boy.

*Please note: Scroll to the bottom of this page to pause the site music and then hit play on the video.

Adrian Hitt is a nationally recognized, award-winning dog photographer who creates modern, playful works of art. Her interest in dog photography is founded in her desire to celebrate and encourage the deep bond that develops between human and animal, parent and dog. In her free time, she photographs dogs awaiting adoption at local rescues and shelters. Her proudest moment? Spending everyday with the inspiration behind her career – Benny a charming -and perfect- lab mix rescue. Adrian lives in Nashville, Tennessee and travels nationwide to photograph America’s beloved pets.