I would thank my family's living dog for being my childhood dog's best friend and taking care of him during his later years. I'd also thank her for being so understanding about the rope toys (they were his favorite and he'd demolish even the toughest ones within hours. Turns out they were her favorite too, we didn't find out until after he passed because he'd destroy them so fast. She now sleeps with her rope toy in her bed). He was my best friend for 15 years, from the day I picked him out on my 9th birthday until he passed last July.

At first, they didn't get along too well. She was a rescue who'd been abused a fair amount so any sudden movement would terrify her and he was a high energy hype machine who loved everybody and everything with the utmost enthusiasm. It took them about a year to become friends but once they did, they were inseparable. If you took him for a walk, she'd absolutely had go otherwise she'd pace and whine until he got back (which happened 99% of the time since she has a thyroid problem that causes her to be extremely nonenergetic, talking like would lay down on the ground 40 yards from the front door and would have to be carried back), if he went outside, she'd follow and when my parents moved to their most recent house they'd sleep side by side. Now that he's gone, it's pretty normal to find her sunbathing in his favorite spots and she refuses to sleep anywhere unless there's someone in the room, she'll even come scratching at doors in the middle of the night if everybody went to bed without bringing her along.

Even though when I'm drunk I cry to her and tell her all of this, I wish I knew she understood. I owe that girl so much, even though we take the best care of her we know how to, she still deserves so much more.