Dear Kona,

I truly thought you’d be with us forever.

I know that sounds odd coming from a clear-eyed, level-headed, down-to-earth human like me, but when we welcomed you into our home as an energetic adolescent, it felt as if we’d have all the playtime in the world. You would never end. We would never end. Our bond would never end.

I picked up your ashes this morning. You’re safely home with us again. And I’m writing to tell you that my crazy idea of being together forever isn’t so crazy after all: I worked it out so our ashes will someday be together. This time, forever.

This comforts my heart, and brings me peace.

But I so miss you right now.

Love always,

Rich

My sweet Patches,

Mommy misses you terribly! You were a great companion for 17 years. I was glad to get a chance to say goodbye to you and hold you one last time before they put you to sleep. I wish I could taking that cancerous mess on your jaw away so you wouldn't have had to go to sleep. I know you're in a better place playing in the middle on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge. I think of you all the time.

Love,

Jerri

To Sam,

Hey Sam. These past 5 months since you passed on have been rough. I miss seeing your face every time I come home from work or somewhere else. I miss our walks and our bonding times. You gave me so much joy at home. It still feels so weird that you're not here anymore. I'm grateful to have had you for 16 great years. I made this poem for you. I call it "Special Blog to my Special Dog"

I remember when I first got you

It was love at first sight

Full of energy you were

My feelings you did excite

A beautiful corgi you were

The cardigan breed you display

Rare dog it really is

Hard to find in the USA

Our walks were so much fun

In the rain or shine

Just walking in the breeze

Also with the smell of pine

The dog park was also cool

Seeing you make friends in the sun

You really seemed so happy

The way you barked and run

When I came home from school

Always someone I looked forward to

Tail wagging with excitement

That special someone was you

I even loved taking you to baseball games

Those quite the weekends

The outside filled with excitement

Even showed you to my friends

When I went away to college

I knew you wanted me to stay

You were still in good hands

You were going to be ok

When you barked at night

At times it wasn’t fair

Still one fact really mattered

It was knowing you were still there

Now you cross the rainbow bridge

Our bond will never end

See ya later Sam my dog

Thanks for being my best friend

Love,

Ryan

My sweet Willow,

I don’t know how to comprehend loosing you. You were my best friend. You ARE my best friend. I regret any moment not spent with you. My last moment with you was late at night on September 30. You were laying in bed and I had to get up. You wanted to come with me but I closed my door so you would stay inside my room. I came back exhausted and laid down in bed right next to you and went to sleep not realizing that that would be my last moment with you. October 1 10:43am I heard your name being screamed from mom and dads room. I ran to their room with my mind going to so many different places but you being gone just didn’t seem possible. Seeing you restless on the floor was the most traumatic experience of my life. At first I didn’t believe it. I just stared at you laying there. The pose you were in was a pose you would do regularly but this time it wasn’t really you. I didn’t know what to do. I got down next to you and tried to wake you. I didn’t believe it. I just don’t understand why you were taken. you were the sweetest puppy. you were so young and healthy. you were just the happiest soul and you never knew what it was like to be unhappy. You deserve the world, my little girl. part of me blames myself for this. We adopted you young at a time when I had no friends and I was having many problems in my life. Once my life was finally starting to go better and I started gaining friends it feels like you’re gone because the world thought I didn’t need you anymore. but I do. I promise I do. On your birthday September 29 2023 you turned four years old. I was at the state fair and I never got to say happy birthday. I feel like I failed you. I feel like I should’ve realized something was wrong going back. I don’t remember seeing any symptoms but I can’t help but feel like if I wasn’t so distracted with my life and going out with friends, then I could’ve noticed something. I wish I could’ve saved you. I would take your place any day. You made me the happiest I’ve ever been in my life. You would lick my tears when I was sad and jump up and down with me when I was happy. you understood me the way that nobody else in the world did. I feel like it’s all my fault that my little girl is gone. I miss your yellowish brown eyes and your bright pink tongue with a freckle in the middle. I feel so empty without you. I just hope you’re ok. I hope you Rest in paradise my sweet, innocent puppy. I will never forget you. I love you more than I love myself.

Love,

Sarah

To Sam,

Hey Sam, I know I already wrote you a letter but there's more I wanted to say. It's been 6 months since you've passed on and it doesn't get easier. I miss you so much. Most nights I used to come and talk to you about my day or things that were bugging me. Still every time I look at the back patio, it's like I have to remind myself that you're not here anymore. I feel like no dog can ever replace you. You were very special. I hope you're running very happily up there in heaven. See ya around buddy

Love,

Ryan

My sweet Nova,

We've been through a lot together, haven't we? You were the first new face we welcomed into our apartment after losing our house, and you made the tiny place feel more like a home than anywhere else I've stayed.

Even through my darkest times, when I was deep in depression and couldn't help but wish my life away, you helped keep me grounded. My thoughts always circled back to, "If I die, will Nova think I abandoned him? Will he mourn for me just like I would him?" Seeing how you follow me around the house so close I almost trip over you daily, I think you'd miss me.

I'm looking at you right now, asleep in your hammock, and I know you aren't yourself. The doctors say your body is attacking it's own red blood cells, they told us you might not make it through the night. Well, you did, because we all know how stubborn you are. I slept on the kitchen floor with you because that's where you wanted to lay; you wouldn't let us move you to a bed. That's the last time I'll ever fall asleep with you by my side.

I'm sorry there isn't more we can do. We could get you those blood transfusions, but they would only prolong the inevitable, and you'd suffer because of it. What kind of life would that be, spending half your life at the hospital and still not being able to play and run like you want to?

I wish "I love you" was enough to save you, that it was some magic spell that would shove all the life back into your body so we could have more time, but it isn't. I can cry and wish all I want, but I'm not special, because death is the only experience all living things share. You proved just how alive you are when you jumped up on the shelf and knocked it right down onto my head. That hurt a lot, you know.

I feel like I've known you for longer that you've been alive. Four years doesn't seem like a lot, but you made it feel like a lifetime. In those four years, you changed me. Made me softer. I know when you're gone, when we leave the emergency center without you this evening, nothing's going to feel real. You'll still be with us, they say they have memorial boxes we can carry you in, but it won't be YOU. You aren't just the fur and the bones holding you together, you're the love and mischief and everything else you showed us. I don't want to imagine you without that.

I love you, Nova. You're my little buddy. I know we had some unsavory nicknames for you, and I'm sure you had your fair share of them for us too, but we turned all of those "impolite" words into terms of endearment. You made the boring life of an introverted, anxious highschool student something worthwhile. I'm confident in saying you're the funniest, most adoring cat I'll ever get to meet. Whatever afterlife there is better be kinder to you than our world was, because if it isn't, I'm tearing it all down to make a new one just for us when we meet again.

Love always,

Best Friend

My sweet Mabel,

I brought you home 1/29/14. You had just turned 2 on 12/1 shortly before being rescued from the puppy mill auction on 1/9. I saw you sweet little face and scared little eyes on Petfinder and I knew you had to be mine. My heart was still hurting after losing my first pup on 1/1 but as soon as I saw you, I knew we both had healing to do and we could do it together. You were so afraid at first, those first few days were tough, but quickly you realized I was safe, you could trust me. Over the last ten years, you have given me so much love and joy, more than I ever realized was possible. It wasn’t always easy, but to me you were perfect and I loved you so much. You were my snuggle bunny, my shadow, my daily dose of sass and laughter. We had almost ten years together but it doesn’t feel like enough. When you were diagnosed with heart valve disease 5/22/23, I thought we still had another year or two before I’d have to think about you leaving me. But that time came just four short months later. I think the stress of your rough start in life just wore down your sweet little heart. I hospitalized you twice, to try to get you back to where you were before the sudden change in symptoms. The first time you came home and seemed good as new! We got 6 days together living like nothing was wrong. And I spent as much hours of those 6 days with you as I possibly could. And then it happened again, you couldn’t breathe, your heart was failing yet again, so to the hospital you went a second time to try to get you back to where you were, with med adjustments to hopefully get more than just 6 more good days together. But when I brought you home the second time, it wasn’t the same as the first time. You were still struggling. We didn’t get any more good days. I gave us four more days together, waiting to see if you would improve, but you didn’t. I could tell you were struggling so hard and you looked so scared when you couldn’t get enough air. You had a cardiology scheduled just 3 days later. I desperately wanted to get you to that appointment on Friday. Maybe they could do something, come up with a new treatment plan to help you live comfortably a little while longer. But on Tuesday night, you were struggling so hard. My tears were flowing when I kissed your little head and I said okay, okay, I promise, I’ll make it stop. And I called the emergency hospital and said I think it’s time. She’s suffering. They agreed and shortly thereafter, I watched you drift off to sleep and I said goodbye as I kissed your head and felt your soft fur for the last time. I hope I did the right thing for you Mabel. I second guess everything now. Should I have tried harder? Should I have hospitalized you again to get you to that cardiology appointment? Could we have had more time together? Did I pull the plug too soon? I will never know the answers to those questions. All I knew was that I couldn’t bear to see you struggle one more day. I’m so sorry Mabel. I will love and miss you forever.

Love,

Rachel

My sweet Mesmer,

Your loss has rocked my world. My brain knows I made the right choice. You were tired and in pain. You were ready. And I’ll never be.

I spent your whole life loving you more than anything

I’ll spend the rest of mine missing you.

I will keep trying to heal and I promise to take care of your brother and sisters.

Love always,

Dad

My sweet Panda,

I will miss you and your green eyes you were and always be the most wonderful cat we ever had. I will always remember all the good times we had when you came to my bed one night kept on pawing me to open the door for you so you could pee. I will always treasure the special moments we had together. I’ll never forget the times we had when you let me hold you and care for you. Please always know I am sorry that you had to die alone. I sorry that no one was there to comfort you in the moments that you really needed the most I am so sorry that you had to suffer with all the pain that you had to deal with I will never forget that perfect bathroom picture you were in I deeply will miss you. And most of all your brother will miss you. Panda please don't forget us please. I will miss you a lot. I will always cherish you sitting by baby Jesus. you will not be forgotten by this family we all miss you and love you.

Love always,

Jacque

My sweet Panda,

My dear sweet boy, I remember the first time I saw you, you were so scared of the other people and the cats in your room. You swatted at me the first time I tried to touch you. I knew then that you were like me. Scared and afraid of what's to come. We picked you and your brother. When we got you home you flew under my bed too scared to come out. But then -after some time- let me love on you and care for you. You became my bestfriend when I lost mine, listened to me sing when nobody else wanted to, and even slept in my bed when I was afraid of thunderstorms. I remember the first time you spent the first christmas I had at my new home with me and my Foster mom. You were so excited to get your favorite treats, and a little less excited to have a little blue hat on your head. Oh, my sweet old boy I love you so much. You were my greatest happiness in sad times. And my greatest sadness in happy times. I think everytime I become happy "why? Why should I be happy?" The answer is simple. You wouldn't want me to be sad. Your beautiful gold eyes always lit up when I smiled or entered your room. I'm so sorry I didn't see you the day before you left. They wouldn't let me. I'm so sorry you had to die alone. But you are never alone now. You were once mine but now you are once again God's. I will always miss you my sweet baby.

Missing you,

Mama Angel