Scott Van Pelt shared some powerful thoughts about his dog Otis following the animal’s death, and his comments are a punch straight to the gut.
The ESPN star addressed his audience late Thursday night and explained that Otis had died after his latest health battle. As a lover of dogs, I was not ready to watch the video and I can promise you won’t be either.
“Nothing we do could earn what our dogs give away to us for free. That level of love and loyalty, and so many of you know what I’m talking about,” Van Pelt said while memorializing Otis.
Grab some tissues and watch the whole segment below.
One Big Thing
Otis the Dog
Long Live The King
RIP pic.twitter.com/Cmz22QhBPE— Stanford Steve (@StanfordSteve82) April 29, 2022
Damn, I’d be lying to you all right now if I said my eyes weren’t a little watery. That was unbelievably difficult to sit through, and yet, I loved every second of it.
There’s nothing like a bond between a man and his dog, and it’s crystal clear to me Van Pelt and Otis shared a bond that is worth remembering and honoring.
He was the King of our home.
Honor him.
One Big Thing.
See you after the draft. pic.twitter.com/sDyWBpJ706
— Scott Van Pelt (@notthefakeSVP) April 28, 2022
I remember the exact spot I was standing in when I learned my favorite dog Jake had died while I was in my final year of college. I was standing in my apartment right between the kitchen and the living room when my dad called and said he’d passed away in his sleep. We knew it was coming, but that hardly made the situation any easier. The only blessing was he died in his sleep so that my dad wouldn’t have to suffer the pain of putting him down.
Jake was born right around 9/11 when I was in 4th grade and he died shortly before I graduated college. I’ve always thought it was a bit symbolic how he arrived right as I started to understand the world and he died right when it was time for me to go out on my own after college.
David Hookstead’s dog Jake (Credit: David Hookstead)
It was like he knew he’d done his job, and it was time to go. He was a hell of a dog, and I cried like a baby that day I got the news. I cried harder for that dog than I ever have for a human, and he was better than 99.9999% of humans I’ve ever met. I’ve had several dogs over the years, but none of them ever came close to Jake. He would have taken a bullet for my family, and he would have gone to war with the world if it was necessary. Trust me, I know. He once thought I was an intruder when I came in from paintball masked up smelling like CO2 and paint. I proudly reminisce about how he didn’t hesitate to defend the household when he thought a problem was at hand.
David Hookstead’s dog Jake (Credit: David Hookstead)
So, my heart goes out to Scott, and let’s take a moment to remember Jake, Otis and all the other great dogs who we’ve shared time with.