A good girl deserves a great sendoff.
Pet ownership can be a very rewarding experience. Not only can having a pet help teach responsibility, it can also showcase the power of unconditional love. Dogs and cats – or whatever pet is preferred – can simply enhance one’s every day life. There’s nothing like coming home and being greeted by an animal that couldn’t be more excited to see you… even though they just saw you a couple of hours ago.
There’s a saying that always gets me when it comes to pet ownership. To us, pets are just a small part of our life. But to them, we are their whole lives. When the day comes for an animal to pass on, the loss can feel like losing a loved one. Sometimes pet owners have to make the tough decision to put their “fur baby” down, and it can be one of the toughest things a person can go through.
That’s why a Texas Roadhouse in Pennsylvania did their best to help out a family that was putting their Great Dane named Iris to sleep.
Hunter Metzger, the owner of the sizable hound, knew that it was time to let Iris pass on to doggy heaven. The day before the eight-year-old Great Dane was scheduled to be put down, he made sure to take her on car rides, visit with family and friends, and give her a steak dinner as her last meal.
Metgzer, busy with all of the other last day activities, decided to order the steak from Texas Roadhouse. In the portion of the order that was for special notes, he wrote:
“Last meal for our dog.”
The to-go team at the restaurant was heartbroken to see the note. Kate Weston, an employee at the Texas Roadhouse, made sure that the steak was the “best ever” for the dog’s final chow down after seeing that the order of steak, a buttered-up roll, and fries was dinner for Iris’ last day on Earth.
Hunter Metzger was overwhelmed when he got to the restaurant to pick up his order and found out that the eatery had picked up his bill, while also offering their condolences. The dog owner later posted about his pleasant experience on Facebook, saying:
“I would like to give a shout-out and a big THANK YOU to the Ephrata Texas Roadhouse! We laid our sweet pup to rest last night, and for her last meal, we got her a steak dinner from Texas Roadhouse.
Not only did the restaurant not let us pay for the meal, the wonderful employees took the time to write a note on top of the container and a message on the back of the receipt (and also offered their condolences in person when I picked up the food).
This kind of customer service and demonstrated compassion sets this Texas Roadhouse team a level above the rest! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!”
Kate Weston ended up seeing the post online and shared that she was “honored” to be a part of Iris’ life, even if it was in the “smallest way.” Though I’d argue that they had a huge impact in making the dog’s last day a little bit easier to get through for the dog owner.
RIP Iris. Glad the Great Dane got to gobble up some great steak on her last day.
