So here he?d lost his owner, then his brother, and he was in this shelter. Yet, we could still see life in his eye.
Old dogs are the wise ones. There?s a depth, a feeling, like aged wine, you don?t get the same depth and experience with younger dogs. It might take a couple of weeks before they get used to the house, but you can see when they realize they are home - the tension melts away.
It?s not the length of time they live. The older dogs we have, we know will die calmly, they will die loved.
You concentrate on the fact you gave them a quality, happy life. Rather than putting all the emphasis on the death, you focus on the living part. It?s actually a happy ending not depressing.