A dog's loyalty is well known, and that is one quality which makes them a man's best friend. But a dog owner from Virginia went overboard with taking the love for her dog till the very end. A perfectly healthy Shih Tzu mix breed was euthanised just so she could be buried with her late owner! The dog named Emma was put to death upon the dead woman's wish to get her pet killed. The shocking case of animal cruelty has left many people angry. 'Dead' Pet Dog Crawls Out of its Grave in Russia, Owners Buried the Pooch After it Went Motionless.

Emma was kept at an animal shelter in Chesterfield County in Virginia after the death of her owner. But after two weeks of her stay there, the executor of the woman's estate mentioned her wish to have buried along with her. Despite convincing the executor several times that Emma would find a new home and caring owners, the request fell on deaf ears. Emma was then euthanised so she could be buried next to her owner. The staff of the shelter called it a very heartbreaking situation.

Carrie Jones, the manager of the animal shelter was quoted to WWBT, "We did suggest they could sign the dog over on numerous occasions, because it's a dog we could easily find a home for and re-home." When the executor came to get the dog, they once again offered to get Emma adopted, but they declined. Adorable Bear Comes Close to Skier in California, Could Be Euthanised for Being Too Friendly With Humans (Watch Video).

Although pets are not allowed to be buried in the commercial cemeteries as per Virginia's Cemetry Code, some exceptions are made in the private and family-owned burial spaces. Emma's remains were placed in an urn in the casket of her dead owner. But a situation like this has once again raised the concerns about euthanising healthy pets.

It is really sad, that a healthy animal was cut short of its life just because the owner passed away. Pets cannot be treated as personal belongings, they too have a life of their own, that does not depend on the lifespan of their owners for sure. If there were any ailments or disease beyond repair then the case would have been different. But a completely healthy Emma was put to sleep forever, just so she could lay with her owner.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 23, 2019 11:38 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).