It’s amazing how emotionally intelligent our pets are; they can recognize when their owners have died away and can even express their grief.
That was recently demonstrated by one canine, whose devotedness was shown at the young man’s funeral after he passed away in a devastating tragedy.
According to WKRN, James William “Will” Warner, 22, of Shelbyville, Tennessee, was discovered dead on Friday. Warner was murdered by a gunshot and left in the street, according to the detectives.
While also being shot, Warner’s girlfriend managed to survive with serious injuries.
The news of Will’s passing devastated his family. “It’s like I had an out-of-body experience. I just collapsed,” His mom Christy West Warner said The Tennessean, “My whole world was broken into a million pieces.”
She said: “Every second I stayed with Will was a joy. He was just larger than life. He was just a good boy. He was so personable.”
Samuel Earl Rich, 25, was named as a suspect in the slaying by the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department; he is currently being held in Bedford County as the investigation continues.
In spite of this, a family was left to mourn while the authorities investigated the situation. They were forced to hasten Will’s burial due to the poor condition in which his body was discovered.
Christy recalled: “I didn’t even get to pick the casket out. It was so immediate. We’ve been robbed of everything. Every last ounce of closure or peace that we could possibly get from saying goodbye, we didn’t get to do.”
On Sunday, Will was laid to rest at the Mount Lebanon Cemetery. The members of his family and friends came together at the cemetery to pay their respects and remember him… And one of the most wrenching and moving expressions of sadness everyone have ever seen came from the most unexpected of thing.
Will’s dog, Ace, appeared to be trying to get closer to Will after he passed away by laying down on the freshly dug grave.
Will’s obituary calls Ace his “faithful friend and loyal companion,” and a photo of the two of them together is included in the obituary. It is very evident that these two had a genuine affection for one another, and there is no question that this dog will never forget his dead companion.
Will, may you rest in peace. It’s obvious that many people love you, but especially in your faithful canine companion – your dog.