Adoption requests pour in after photo of dog waiting for dead owner goes viral

While it may be one of the saddest images you've seen on social media, the results are a happy one.

NorthStar Pet Rescue in Boonton, N.J, working with Eleventh Hour Rescue in Randolph, N.J, shared a heartbreaking photo of a dog, Moose, sitting beside his owner's empty hospital bed. His owner had recently passed away, and it appears the 3-year-old Lab mix was waiting for him to come home.

The photo, posted initially on Monday, has since been shared over two thousand times.

"Moose sat patiently next to his dad's hospital bed, waiting for him to return, not knowing that 'Dad' had passed away," NorthStar shared on Facebook. "Moose has now been returned to our friends at Eleventh Hour Rescue and he's taking the loss of his dad pretty hard. Please help Moose find a new home and a family for him to love."

The post goes on to list Moose's wonderful qualities, such that he loves kids, gets along with dogs, and is housebroken. But most importantly, he absolutely loves people."Boy, does he love [people]! So much so that Moose would do best in a home where he wasn't left home alone all day long, he misses his people too much," the post continued. "Let's mend this broken heart, together."

Just two days later, the post was updated.

"Thanks to the power of social media, Moose has received several applications & we are hopeful he will find a forever home soon!" the update read. "Thank you for caring & sharing everyone!"

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