“Dogs are a man’s best friend,” what that quote really should be is: “Dogs are everybody’s best friend.” Whether you’re a man or woman, young or old, everyone loves dogs (and if you don’t you literally don’t have a soul). Dogs can lift your spirits in the darkest of times, and they truly love you in the most unconditional ways.

My dog’s time is coming to an end, and seeing this happen is heartbreaking. I wish she could live forever and always be the happy go lucky puppy she once was. She will undoubtedly be the happiest hello and the hardest goodbye.

To my dog- thank you for providing me with so much entertainment every time I played with you. Thank you for licking my tears whenever my heartbroken self was crying. Thank you for letting me rant about stupid things to you, and for being a comforting shoulder to lean on. I am sorry for the times I got frustrated at you and yelled at you, you didn’t deserve that, but thank you for forgiving me for doing that.

I will miss all the snuggly times we had together, and all the times you greeted me when I came home from school. I will miss you begging for food under the dinner table, and seeing the joy on your face every time I gave in and gave you a bite. I wish I could see you run around in the backyard forever, or to see you doggie paddle in the pool- because boy I will miss those times so much. I’ll miss everything about your perfect self, and I might even miss that very loud bark (even though our neighbors won't).

I love you oh so much. I love hearing your little paws click-clack all around the house, and hearing them run to the door to greet someone. I love seeing how excited you get when it’s time to be fed, or when you see your leashes taken out because you know it’s time for an adventure. I love the fact that you’ve been in our family for so long. For as long as I can remember you’ve been a part of our lives. From feeding you Oreos in secret when I was 4, to hearing you snore and sleep all day 14 years later- you’ve been with us the whole time. Your heart has always been loyal to our family and now you’ll be in our hearts forever.

I could go on forever about every little detail I love and will miss about you. I know you aren’t technically perfect, but in my eyes you are. You life isn’t as long as you deserve it to be, or as long as I’d like it to be, but in the short time you’ve been in this family you have changed all of our lives and I hope you know how much we love you.

The last 14 years have been an absolute joy. You have lived a wonderful life. You have filled my heart with so much happiness. I'll never be fully ready to say goodbye to you. You represent so much of my childhood, and I am not ready to accept that it is over, and that it is time for you to go. But, your time has come and all I can hope is that you have a peaceful journey on the other side, and that there are lots of treats and toys in Doggie Heaven. Farewell sweetie, our family will love you forever, and we will never forget you.