Hello,

If you don’t know by now, last week I had to lay my precious boy to rest. I am beyond devastated, and I know some people will say, ‘he was just a dog.’ But Eli was more than that. He was my companion; my best friend. He comforted me through days and weeks of depression. He calmed my anxiety. He helped get me through an abusive relationship.

He made me laugh with his goofy antics. Eli was definitely one-of-a-kind. Scared of hardwood floors – he always had to have at least one paw on a rug. We strategically set up rugs throughout the house for him to walk on. If I were cooking downstairs and he smelled chicken or eggs, you’d hear this ‘thump thump‘ of him jumping off the bed…then him barreling down the stairs hoping for some food. He loved his stuffed animals…most of all, his piggy. He loved cuddling and food…especially treatos. Anytime I’d write on my laptop, he would come lay in my lap and rest his head on my keyboard. At night, he got into the habit of barking at us when it was time for bed. He wanted us in the bedroom with him and he’d always sleep in between us. I never minded.

Cancer is a nasty thing, and sadly it took over. Eli would have been 10 in July, but the cancer was fast. I want more years with him. He still had years in him, but cancer wouldn’t let that happen. I still have almost 10 years of incredible memories we shared, and one day those memories will bring smiles and not tears. He was such a good boy, even my vet was bawling. She always talked about how sweet he was and that he never once tried to bite her or fight her whenever she needed to perform tests. He would wag his tail and try to lick her.

Even on his last day, he was wagging his tail. And we put our foreheads together like we always did when he comforted me, until his last breath. He will always be in my heart and he’ll always be my lil guy.

If you’ve ever lost a pet, you know how hard it is. And it’s perfectly normal to grieve for however long it takes. They are a part of our family and they provide comfort, unconditional love, laughter, happiness. They are such amazing creatures.

Carrigan