Ben Moon & Denali
Ben Moon & Denali

A few of us have been blessed with a family member or a best friend in the form of our beloved dog (I know I have, in the form of one giant, cuddly black labrador at home in Melbourne). These furry companions stick by you no matter what, and all they ever want in return is your love. Unfortunately, they don’t lead a life as long as ours – but maybe they don’t need to. In their own way, they’re so much wiser, so much more loyal, carefree, loving and all this they learn much faster than many humans are capable of learning throughout their long lives!

Adventure photographer Ben Moon adopted his companion Denali years ago at a pound with his girlfriend at the time. Though Moon broke up with his girlfriend, Denali remained by his side as he explored the entire Pacific Northwest. When Moon was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer, Denali was his steady companion throughout the bad times. Denali slept right next to moon during his treatment and played a huge ‘paw’ in his recovery! Years later, Denali was diagnosed with cancer and on his deathbed. Moon refused to let his companion go without taking him to all the destinations they shared memories at. This is one tear-jerking dedication made by one man to his best friend – something that ensured that Denali’s memory would never fade.

The kind of bond someone shares with their furry companion often surpasses most other relationships – and this video captures exactly that. <3

Though this movie brought a tear to my eye, it certainly left me smiling straight after. :’)