Charlie was 11 years old and had both eyes removed due to glaucoma: the left one in 2016, the right one a year later.
His owners, Adam and Chelsea Stipe, in Mooresville, North Carolina, thought that Charlie would spend his final years quiet and withdrawn. Then, in January 2019, Maverick arrived, a puppy just 4 months old. No one taught him anything. But he began walking close beside Charlie, guiding him around the furniture, bringing him back the toys he could no longer find.
Chelsea says that ever since Maverick arrived, Charlie started playing again like he hadn’t in a long time. He didn’t need special training or a guide dog school. He needed someone who would walk at his pace and never leave him alone.
Charlie died just six months after Maverick arrived, having recovered his joy during the final stretch of his life.
