By Debbie Emery - Breaking Celebrity News Reporter

A single, beautiful photograph of a man cradling his dog in Lake Superior to help ease the pup's arthritis has pulled at the heartstrings of all those who have seen it, and now Breaking Celebrity News has the real story behind the heart-breaking image that went viral.

"I am so surprised at the reaction of all of this," John Unger of Bayfield, Wisconsin told Breaking Celebrity News in an exclusive interview in response to the outpouring of support for him and his loyal canine companion.

The 49-year-old farm caretaker adopted his dog, Schoep, when he was just a puppy, but after a staggering 19 years together, the aging shepherd mix is suffering from arthritis and has trouble sleeping, so the inseparable pair head to nearby Lake Superior so he can be lulled to sleep by the water.

"I knew the water relieved the pain, but didn’t know to what extent it was helping at first. It takes all the pressure off the joints  and he is just floating there and doesn’t have any body weight," explained Unger.

"He immediately just zones out and is asleep as soon as he puts his head against my chest. I hold him with my right arm and then I will splash water on him and massage his joints – his