This summer I had to endure the most pain I have ever felt, and that pain was losing my furry best friend. Saying goodbye to our beloved pets is never easy, but letting go of the ones we grew up with can be on a whole new level of “this hurts so bad, how am I ever going to do this again?” While this is a difficult experience, it is one that will make us appreciate our loving pals more than we ever knew we could, as well as cherish those that are still with us.
I remember the very day my dad brought home our first dog. I was three years old and her name was Lacy. She was so tiny with black fur and cute little paws that made me want to cuddle her all day long. I even remember taking a collar off of one of my stuffed animals and putting it on her. It fit her perfectly. I know what you’re thinking and no, Lacy isn’t the one we had to say goodbye to. Today, she’s a 17 year old Australian Shepherd mix with way too much energy for her age and the enthusiasm of a 2 year old puppy. It was her brother. Theo. The one we never planned on getting, but the one who found us anyway.
Theo & Lacy (2001).
Just days after we got Lacy, we received a call from the person who took Lacy’s brother. She shared that he wouldn’t stop whining and crying and asked if we wanted to take him. She assumed he was missing Lacy, and she wasn’t wrong. We were afraid he would still be just as vocal as she claimed, but ever since the day we reunited the two he never whined again.
Theo (2001). Taken by me.
Theo was a character with his tan-colored paws contrasting dark fur, his one floppy ear that could just never stand perfectly straight like his other could, and his endless need to love everyone around him. He was notorious for giving hugs. He especially liked giving them to my dad when he would get home from work. All my dad would have to say was “Give me a hug, good boy,” and he’d come trotting over and rub his head all over my dad’s legs over and over again. It may have not been a traditional hug, but it was a Theo hug. They were even more special.
I’m sure you’ve guessed by now just how inseparable Theo and Lacy were. They spent every second with each other from the time they were puppies all the way up to the day we had to put Theo down. Theo loved cuddling up next to Lacy whenever she was laying down and have her clean his ears. He also loved chasing her around our backyard, weaving in and out of the bushes they would completely disappear in as tiny little puppies. They had the greatest friendship and love for each other I have ever seen any animals have. Theo would hate being separated from her and even howled endlessly when we took her on walks separately. Of course, he stopped as soon as she got back.
Overall, Theo had an amazing, active, joyful life that I am so happy my family could give him. He was the most loving dog I have ever known and I will always remember him as such. Saying good bye to him was the most difficult thing I’ve had to do, and thinking about it is still so hard. When you get a dog at three years old, you don’t truly realize that he’s not going to be with you forever. And I think that goes for every pet we grew up with. The process of losing them is nowhere close to easy, but it is something pet owners have to eventually face. The best thing we can do is continue to love them when they’re gone, to reflect and appreciate all the memories they left us with, and give the pets we have afterward all the attention, care, and love in the world.