Bob, a 16-year-old Black Labrador from Somerset, England, had a good life. His first ten years of life were spent happily with his owner Harold Pursey in their home, and the last five years were spent in the Burnham Lodge senior residence where the dog made many new friends. Today, the Lodge mourns the passing of Bob, but they are happy to have spent five wonderful years with the dog and find comfort in knowing the dog has earn his angel wings.

Pursey was a World War II veteran who moved into an assisted living facility when his health deteriorated. His only family was his dog Bob and when the man had to leave his home, he knew he wasn’t leaving his dog behind.

Luckily, a social worker guaranteed both seniors a place in Burnham Lodge and since their move there, Bob became the only four-legged resident and everyone’s best friend.

In 2010, Pursey passed away at the age of 94, but before dying he ensured Bob would have a place at the Lodge to live the rest of his days. The pet owner left his dog a trust worth just under $1,000, but due to the dog’s declining health, that trust quickly ran out. Yet, since Bob was a loved member of his community, the staff at the lodge did raffles, competitions and collected donations, helping Bob’s trust grow to over $7,000 in the course of five years.

This December, just a few weeks short of Bob’s 16th birthday, the dog had to be put to sleep.

“It is with much sadness that we announce the death of Bob,” Lindsay Hammond, a nursing home worker told The Mirror. “He was put to sleep on Monday, Dec. 28. He was a much-loved member of our family at Burnham Lodge and it was a very sad day for the staff and residents.”

Bob had a decade where he was solely adored by his owner, but in the five years he lived at the nursing home he was not only loved by his owner but also every resident. He brought smiles to everyone and made every day a brighter one. He will be forever missed and remembered, and it is needless to say the Burnham Lodge will not be the same without Bob.