On June 28, 2016 I lost my best friend of nearly 12 years. Her name is Gal and being the beautiful mutt that she was, she was the most unique dog I have ever seen. She had a personality like no other and was not afraid of anything. Gal’s favorite things were her daily walks, belly rubs, and peanuts. Boy did she love peanuts.

The hardest part about losing my fur baby was that she left us about two months before I moved away to go to college. The thought of leaving home is hard, but it’s even harder knowing that when I come back home to visit she won’t be there at the door wagging her tail. I envy the other college students who miss their pets because they still get to visit them and love them when they go back home. My version of missing my dog is completely different than theirs. In my 18 years of living this is the first time my family and I have been without a dog, and it’s a very strange feeling. The house just seems so empty and I feel that my college experience will be incomplete without being able to share it with her. Living without Gal is like living a different life. Although I miss her terribly, I am glad that she is not suffering anymore and that we don’t have to live apart from each other when I go to college. This is the hardest experience I’ve ever gone through, but I’ve slowly learned to celebrate the happy memories I had with her instead of focusing on how much I miss her.

To anyone going through a similar experience, I just want you to know that it will be OK. I won’t lie to you, it’s not easy learning how to deal with this. Only time will give you the ability to smile and laugh when you talk about the memories you shared with your dog instead of crying. Even as I write this my eyes are tearing up a little. She taught me to appreciate things while you have them and to live life to the fullest, because you are never promised tomorrow. I believe her teaching me this is her way of looking out for me as I start my college journey. I still think of her every day when I’m opening a bag of chips (which she loved) or when I walk past where her bed used to be. I’ll never forget about her and I know she will live in the many hearts she touched forever.

"Everyone thinks they have the best dog … and none of them are wrong."
— W.R. Purche