Facebook page Humans of New York creator Brandon Stanton wrote a heart touching tribute to his beloved dog Susie, who passed away this week aged 16.

In the tribute posted to the HONY page in Facebook, Stanton wrote about how Susie had a powerful influence on his life since he adopted her, reports Mashable.

"I was photographing in Brooklyn one evening when I saw the coolest little dog sitting on a stoop," Stanton wrote.

"I sat down to pet her, and after a few minutes, her owner told me that he was unable to care for her anymore. He asked if I could take her."

Stanton then took in 12-year-old Susie in, despite having little money at that time.

"It was one of the best decisions I ever made," he wrote.

Susie not only proved to be a loyal companion for Stanton, but also for his fiancée Erin O'Sullivan, who is the founder of senior dog advocacy nonprofit Susie's Senior Dogs, through which Susie had inspired hundreds to adopt senior dogs, reports Mashable.

"Thank you to everyone who has regularly followed Susie's senior journey and cared so much about her," O'Sullivan wrote in a post of her own.

"Most important, thank you to everyone who has been inspired by Susie to adopt an old dog of your own," she added.

Several Facebook commenters have chimed in with their own senior dog adoption stories — including Jillian Stoddard, who said Susie inspired her to adopt her own dog, Cinder.

"...she [Cinder] wouldn't be snuggled on my couch right now if it weren't for Susie," she wrote.

And although losing her is difficult, Stanton is grateful for the years he spent with Susie, as he wrote "She was my introduction to the love of dogs," adding that "…she helped Erin discover her purpose in life."

"So in a way she's going to stick around forever," Stanton also wrote.

Source: Mashable