Almost five years ago, my childhood dog, Max, passed away at the age of 16. I was only 15 at the time and it was one of the worst days of my life. My mom got my dad our dog as a present before my brother and I were even born.

I grew up with him, we both watched each other grow. Through every bad day or fight with my parents, my dog was the one I ran to. Whenever you are feeling sad, there is something about dogs that just immediately make you feel better. They are like a safe place.

Anyways, as he got much older, it was easy to tell that he was beginning to struggle with his old age. He had trouble walking, was not eating as much, it was clear that he was in pain. One day, my dad decided it was time to put him down. Hearing that news broke my heart in two, because, I really did not know a life without him. It was a very difficult time for me because I was much closer to him than any of my brothers were.

As time went on, I began to realize that putting him down at that time was the best thing we could have done for him. As sad as that is to say, he was in constant pain and we relieved him from that. I knew that he was in a happier place now after living the most amazing 16 years.

After this hard time in my life, I truly never thought or even wanted to get another dog again. I was completely fine without having another dog because Max was the only one I wanted. However, as years went by, my family and I missed the feeling of having a loving pet in our home. We are and will always be a dog family, so we started to think about the option of adopting a new dog. I did not want this at first, but after my mom was given an opportunity to adopt one of her friends newborn dogs, I opened myself up to the thought of having a new best friend.

Over the summer, we adopted our new dog named Cody. He was a surprise to my little brother, and it was one of the best decisions we have ever made. He was only 4 months old at the time of adopting him and already he brought so much joy to my family and I. It was hard for my brother and I, being that we are in college and we have to spend a lot of time away from him. However, it just makes every time I see him so much more special.

Cody has brought so much happiness to my family. Since my brother and I have been at college for two years, it is definitely always hard for our parents to see us go and not have us around anymore. With that said, I truly believe that Cody has filled that little hole in my parents hearts, where max is and where my brother and I are when we are away.

Cody will never "replace" Max for me, no dog ever will. He is a different stage in my life that has brought me new happiness, and also the comfort that Max once gave me. Dogs live the best years of their life because of US! We watch them grow up, but they also watch us grow up and change. Because of this, they hold such a special place in your heart that could never be replaced. For me, Cody is now sharing that place with Max, and he is bringing us more happiness than we could have ever imagined. Dogs don't live very long lives, but they change yours in every way possible.