Schoep, Dog Made Famous in Beautiful Water Photo Last Year, Has Died

Sad news to report that the subject of a gorgeous photograph that pretty much everybody saw when it went viral last year died yesterday.

The famous photo of Schoep and John Unger. Photo by
Hannah Stonehouse Hudson. 

Schoep the dog passed away at the age of 20.

You remember the picture, that you see in this post here. His owner, John Unger, would take Schoep out into the cool waters of Lake Superior in the summer to relieve Schoep's arthritis.

The photo shows more clearly than any other I've seen the exquisite relationship between dog and human.

According to the Northlands Newscenter of Wisconsin, Unger posted this message on his Facebook page yesterday:

"I Breathe But I Can't Catch My Breath. Schoep passed yesterday. More information in the days ahead."  The photo accompanying the post showed a single dog's paw print in the sand on a beach.

I can relate. One of my dogs died in late May, and you really can't catch my breath. I only had Bailey for a year. Imagine Unger's pain, since he and Schoep had been pals for many, many years.

Judging by John and Schoep's Facebook page, the end came suddenly and unexpectedly, as posts through July 15 indicated the two were having a nice summer walking along the beaches of Lake Superior or taking dips in the water.

A very nice photo apparently taken July 14 shows Schoep contentedly dozing off amid some wildflowers under a beautiful blue summer sky.

If it's any comfort, Unger should be congratulated by all of us for showing us the beauty of love and companionship. Kudos to Hannah Stonehouse Hudson for shooting and sharing the photo, too.

So, thanks Schoep and John. I hope Mr. Unger knows he and Schoep made the world a better place. That doesn't bring Schoep back, but I hope it's some comfort.