Any pet owner knows the most difficult part of owning a pet is when they pass away. To so many people, a pet isn't just an animal.

They can be your best friend, a big part of your family and a very important part of your life.

When I was about to turn 7, my parents took me to a small pet store to pick out a puppy as a birthday present. I have always had such a love for dogs. I specifically remember looking at all the rowdy little puppies and playing with a few, but not really feeling a connection with one. Then I walked past a little glass case with 3 boxer puppies, 2 white ones and a brindle one. The little brindle one was in the middle of his brother and sister and they all turned their heads the same way to look at me when I walked up to the glass.

"I want to play with that one," I said, pointing to him.

From the minute I laid eyes on him, I knew he would be my best friend. I picked out a purple collar and matching leash (because tough boys wore purple, in my little 7 year old mind) and took my new best friend home. I named him Tucker and from that moment forward, he was my inseparable partner in crime.

It's amazing to me how a small little animal can have such an impact on your life. I have years of memories with Tucker, from playing soccer with him in my backyard to secretly throwing him pieces of popcorn on family movie nights. He used to sit in a spot where he could look out our front window every day around 3 so he could watch me walk home from the bus stop. When I was sad, he would snuggle with me and quite literally lick the tears off my face. He wasn't just a dog, he was my very best friend.

Leaving him for college was the roughest thing, but the way he got so excited when I would come home for breaks made my heart so happy. My 13 year old puppy at heart surprised everyone with his energy, with many people commenting that they thought he was 7 or 8.

But very suddenly, as if he had waited for me to be home for the summer, he began to slow down. He stopped eating and would barely have the energy to greet me when I'd go to pet him. The day before he passed away, I sat in his little dog run with him, petting him for an hour as he napped. I then came home the next night to find out that he had passed away in his sleep.

Dogs leave an eternal paw print on the hearts of even the toughest people. Their goofy habits, loud barks and loving hearts make them more amazing than any other friend you could have in your life. You can talk to them for hours and they'll listen. They never judge, they never yell and they will love you even when you are having a hard time loving yourself. They say that a dog is the only thing on earth that will love you more than it loves itself, and I don't doubt that to be true. Pets are so much more than just an animal in your life.

If I could wish for anything in life, it would be that dogs could live as long as us, because life truly feels empty without them.

In loving memory of Tucker

2004-2018