GREENSBORO, N.C. — If you’ve ever had a dog or cat or even a hamster or bunny you know how tough it can be when they get old and start to suffer. One of the hardest things to do is to decide to say goodbye.
“It was hard to see him struggle,” Sherrie Godfrey said.
For 16 years Godfrey and Bailey were almost inseparable. The two were often on the go and loved getting out and adventuring.
“Oh, my goodness he loved the snow, when we first got him, he just flopped right down in the snow,” Godfrey said.
Bailey was more than a companion to Godfrey, he was family and, in many ways, her best friend.
‘He meant everything (to me). he was special because I got him right after my husband passed,” Godfrey said.
As time went on Bailey started to have some health issues and eventually, Godfrey made the difficult decision to say goodbye. Godfrey purchased a special urn that would hold his ashes. It also has a picture of Bailey on the front with his date of birth and passing.
A week or so after Bailey passed away, Godfrey picked up the urn and pulled it out of the bag. The picture of the dog on the urn wasn’t Bailey.
“It was just hurt on top of hurt,” Godfrey said.
The picture Godfrey provided of Bailey didn’t fit so the company put a generic picture of another dog on the urn. When Godfrey pulled the urn out of the bag and saw the picture she was shocked and devastated.
“We just all started crying, it was not him,” Godfrey said.
She contacted the facility but was getting the runaround. No one seemed to take responsibility for what happened or offer an explanation.
A few days later Godfrey called WFMY News 2 for help and to get some answers. We contacted the facility and spoke with a supervisor. We explained the issue and how Godfrey and the family felt when opening the bag with Bailey’s ashes.
A short time later a supervisor with the facility reached out to Godfrey and offered an apology and a refund.
“Had it not been for you guys I don’t think (I would have) got the results I got,” Godfrey said. “Thank you.”
Godfrey has Bailey’s ashes on a shelf in her home. A picture of him is tucked in front of the other dog on the urn. It’s not ideal but Godfrey is glad her best buddy is home.
Godfrey has since adopted another dog. Yoda is a poodle mix. Godfrey said it’s nice to have another furry friend around the house.
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