If you cry easily like me when it comes to stories about animals, then grab a tissue.
The internet is weeping after Andrew Bernhard posted a photo to Reddit of his cat – who was also named Andrew – on the drive to the vet’s office for the final time. 15-year-old Andrew got Bernhard through “high school, undergraduate, medical school, and residency graduations.” And the bond between the two can be seen as Andrew holds Bernhard’s hand the entire way.
“Andrew was my little boy. He was a great guy. He was always happy to see everybody, always won fights with the dog and just wanted you around all the time. He just finally got too weak to keep up,” Bernhard said to PEOPLE.
Regarding the viral response to the picture, Bernhard is happy that the memory of Andrew will live on.
“I’m just so happy his story has continued. He brought such happiness to me and I hope he continues to make others feel good about their own pets,” he stated.
Bernhard shared with Reddit how over the past year, poor little Andrew just became noticeably sick. “He purred every day of his life and when he lost that, I knew it was time,” Bernhard wrote. “It’s always sad to lose a friend. Sorry for everybody else’s losses as well.”
We all can understand the sad loss of a pet. So rest in peace little Andrew and our deepest condolences to Bernhard.