Grade School Student Writes Heartfelt Note To His Teacher Who Lost Her Dog

Losing a pet is never easy and the pain and emptiness that comes when your animal best friend is endless. Mrs. Dunne is an elementary school teacher and teaches kids around 8 and 9 years old in Glasgow, Scotland. When she's not teaching the children reading, writing and arithmetic -- her and her students enjoyed talking about Charlie, her family's dog. The children never met the 18-month-old golden retriever -- but they loved him like their own.

Mrs. Dunne's daughter told The Dodo, "My mum was so excited by Charlie and loved telling everyone about him and showing them photos, including her class! The kids often drew pictures of the dog for her and asked about him."

Unfortunately, the Dunne family got some beyond heartbreaking news. Although Charlie was just 18 months there was a malignant growth on his chest. His family did everything they could, vets did everything they could - but it wasn't enough. Lucie recounted to The Dodo, "Before we knew it he was in intensive care with cancer and a massive tumor pressing into his heart. By the end he was oxygen-dependent and we had to let him go."

The Dunnes hearts broke. Mrs. Dunne knew she would have trouble facing her class, and she would not be herself, so she had to find the strength to deliver the news to them. One student named Callum rose to the occasion and went above and beyond to help his teacher grieve through a letter he wrote when he asked Mrs. Dunne for paper in class that day.

The sweet, honest and heartfelt letter was exactly what the family needed in their time of heartbreak. Lucie said it left the family with a "wonderful and happy memory during a sad time."

Mrs. Dunne is clearly teaching more than reading and writing, she is teaching kindness, warmth and compassion -- the real tools of life.