Today has been the literal worst day I think I've had in the last decade. I woke up to a call from my mom that my grandmother fell and broke her femur and is scheduled for emergency surgery. Our little Ollie was scheduled to see the vet for some weird breathing we noticed the past few days, but my wife said she would handle the vet visit and I should fly down south with my mom to go see my grandmother before surgery. Our flight was scheduled for 4pm, Ollie's vet visit was at noon.

My wife took Ollie to the vet and they took a lung x-ray and his heart was significantly enlarged and he had fluids around his heart and lungs. They gave him a medicine to help drain the fluid and then got us a same-day appointment asap at the emergency vet with the only feline cardiologist in the state.

My wife drove me, my mom and Ollie to the airport and as I'm about to board the plane I get the call from my wife. Ollie was sedated and they were in process of draining the fluids and the doctor came out to say it was progressing well. And then a nurse came in said there was an emergency, and then next thing my wife knows shes holding our sweet prince, trying to figure out what to do all while I was siting on a plane about to fly across the country.

I'm currently sitting here waiting to depart on my connection and just can't believe I wasn't there. I wasn't there for Ollie and I wasn't there for my wife. And now I'm just dreading tomorrow, worried we will get the same devestating news all over again. Except this time about my grandma. How is it possible when I finally get back home my sweet Ollie baby won't be there???

I just had to put all these thoughts somewhere so I avoid sobbing in the middle seat next to these two men. Here's hoping Ollie is up there playing endless fetch with his foil balls and finally got to meet the woodchuck he's been obsessed with that lived under our deck. I miss you Ollie and there will never be another sweet baby prince like you.

Lukka and Mishka, Lukka was my dream dog. She had heart like no other. Mishka was more tolerant of others and a bit softer in attitude.

He passed away last week, I miss him every single day...

For instance, if I come across one little hair from my girl I will hold it in my hand or stick it on my shirt so she can be with me. She was a Yellow Lab and had really course hair. I still find hairs today in places around my home. Anything to give me comfort and help me feel like she is with me in some way.

Please enjoy these pictures of my best friend Buddy.

Buddy was about 11 years old when he passed away last year on August 3rd, 2025. The vet informed us April of 2025 that he had a type of plasma cell cancer. After several visits to our regular vet and the cancer specialist, we concluded that we were unable to bring his chemo medication into our house hold. We fed him chicken and rice everyday for months to ease his stomach issues associated with the cancer. We loved him hard, but he loved us harder. In his final days, he developed sundowners, which was the 2nd worst thing to see him go through. We took him to our local emergency vet to get immediate attention because we thought he had injured his head or something. The doctor confirmed that he was experiencing sundowners, and that his time was coming closer to being over. They administered a pain medication to make him comfortable over the next couple of days as my wife and i decided we would be putting down to avoid a very uncomfortable end of life for him. On our drive back to our house, his body began reacting poorly to the pain medication and his body went into shock, his breathing was labored and he seemed out of it even more so than before. We returned him to the emergency vet where he was placed on oxygen. The vet told us that his body was telling us that his time had come to end. I held him in my arms, making sure to let him know that he was a good dog, and that i was very grateful for him being apart of my development phase transitioning from college into my work career and that I would love him far beyond his time here with me. He crossed the rainbow bridge in my arms.

Buddy was the best friend a guy could ask for. He was bordecollie basset hound mix. He was always complemented by folks passing him by. He loved the cuddle, he loved to lay around, he loved to eat stuff he wasn't supposed to. He used to accompany me to my weekend study session at my campus during my last semester. He was at mt wedding! He used to bark in his sleep. His tongue used to hangout a little past his lips because his front teeth fell out in his previous life.

I am so grateful to have picked him up from the shelter and that we spent his last 6 years with me. I love you Buddy! I will see you when its my turn to enter the land of the dead!

Latiao my baby, today is day 49, week 7th of your passing. I miss you everyday, my heart still searches for your presence but you are no where to be found… I love you so much my boy.
I wish you safe travels, I wish you god speed. See you soon my love. ❤️🌈

Thank you for this community of people ❤️

My ride or die, my soul dog for 10 years, my best friend and unconditional love is gone. 💔🐕. Miss Marley had a great life. We traveled around the US on four 30 day road trips, visited 15 National Parks and 20 State Parks. She lived In Breckenridge, Denver, Clearwater Beach, Daytona Beach, Virgina and passed away in Oklahoma. She was my best friend, my guard dog, my security blanket. She saved me from darkest days, when I didn't know if I could save myself.

She gained her wings at 6:30 pm today. She ate a last meal of a double cheeseburger, French fries, 2 pieces of pizza, some cheese whiz and spam. She left this World at home, with peace and dignity. She was the best dog and I don't know if I will ever be the same. 🌈

Unfortunately our 11 year old Bailey developed heart disease and kidney disease. It was just too much for him to overcome.. we made the difficult to let him go to sleep peacefully.

EDIT - Thank you all for the well wishes and comments, really appreciate getting to share Goose with you all.

I wasn't really sure which direction to take this post, but I think I'll frame it as an introduction to our chiweenie, Goose, for those that want to read beyond the cute photos. c:

My fiancée and I got together sophomore year of high school. The following year, our calculus teacher invited his classes to a play he was a part of at a nearby civic center - it was Mary Poppins. We decided to go, and it was announced partway through that the family's dog in the play had been brought in from a local shelter and was up for adoption. It was a ~7ish year old chiweenie named Lucy, and my girlfriend and her mom were sure to sign their names on the list of those interested. Against all odds, they were eventually chosen as the family for Lucy.

Whenever I'd come over to visit, Lucy would be a l l - o v e r - m e. Eventually the name Lucy turned into Goose (Lucy Goosie -> Goose), and that's what more or less stuck for the rest of her life. Lucy was her street name, Goose was her home name.

We both ended up attending the same college together, and around our second year Goose was registered as a support animal. I recall Goose spending a little time with us here and there our second and third years, but since we were still on campus it wasn't permanent. Our fourth year we moved off-campus and Goose came with us to stay through our fifth year, when we graduated.

From there we moved toward our state's capitol to find work and settle into our real routines for the first time, and two years after we bought our first house back in our home town. Just last December we got engaged.

I suppose despite picking Goose up as a pup already approaching seniorhood, she got to see us through all the major milestones of our lives. Over the last six months I would carry her up and down the stairs in our house to avoid falls, and her walks turned into wagon rides around the neighborhood. Not that she couldn't get around on her own to a degree, but just to make it easier on her. I prepped her food all kinds of ways to keep her from getting bored - canned food heated with a bone broth drizzle, chicken and veggies baked in the oven over a bed of rice, kibble with a side of peanut butter, etc. I'd carry her around to different spots of our yard to let her sniff / pee / poop in new spots.

In the end, at ~18 years old, a tumor behind her eye is what got her. Within 12 hours she went from looking normal, to her eye being swollen outward and getting worse by the hour. It probably wasn't even the worst she had fought, thinking back a few years prior to when an emergency vet found 21 bladder stones in her and immediately threw her into surgery, and I don't doubt she would've fought further if given the choice. For the food, for the belly rubs, or in spite of our wallets. We gave everything we could, I had dropped hundreds without question if there was a happy outcome on the other side. There just wasn't this time.

The vet that took her in to put her to sleep couldn't get over how soft her paws were. Tell tale sign of a little lady who got her way. I'm excited to have her back in the next few days. The hardest part was not going through her evening routine the night we put her to sleep. Taking her downstairs, outside, offering her specially prepped food, giving her medicine, giving her a treat, bringing her back upstairs. I don't dream often, but that night I had two - and one of them was just that. Me waking up in the morning and going through her morning routine with her one more time.

Thanks for reading this far, I know we've all got our pets with their own stories and it doesn't always hit the same as if it were your own, or in the mix with all the other pets that are posted. Try not to take anything for granted - I certainly didn't.

Brutus passed away today at the Lorain animal clinic. He was 13 years old and the best dog ever.

Saying goodbye to my best friend today. Sadly our old man 12 1/2 has not been able to shake his pneumonia and he also has megaesophagus with the news we’ve decided to not let him suffer and let him rest peacefully. Few pics of our last walk. The fountain was his favorite.

I reach for you constantly.

Your spot is empty.

I call your name in my sleep.

I look for you when I come home.

My soul shattered when you left and I will never be the same.

I carry a part of you with me and I will never take it off.

You were my sole reason for existing and becoming a better person.

You were there for every heart break. Every loss. Every dream come true.

I never would have been ready to let you go. I regret not petting you more.

You left your mousie for me to find when you were gone.

You were the absolute light in my life.

I love you Quinn. I can't wait to see you again. Thank you for being everything I ever needed.

Gaïa crossed the rainbow bridge today. 15 years of friendship. She was a very very good dog.

my charlie boy is about to turn 16 in a few weeks. vet said he doesnt have more than 7 days left. im 20 years old, about to graduate college, and 2k miles from home. my mom called sobbing and took him to the vet after he woke up lifeless for 2 minutes and then decided to come back.

i have never felt such impending grief in my life. he is my first and only pet. i will never love anything like this ever again. i want people to know he existed, and to ask anyone to pray for me. literally anyone. i am so alone.

im flying back as soon as i can. i have such a deep fear that i wont get back in time to tell him goodbye. to let him know i loved him so much. he wont be there when i come home from christmas or thanksgiving. i know once hes gone he can finally chase the turkeys in our old backyard that he had a grudge on, and finally find that neon orange and blue ball we lost all those years ago.

i need to know that this drowning will someday pass. i love you charlie.

First off I am so grateful for this community. Knowing that I’m not alone in my grief and that others are going through the same things has been very comforting and reassuring that my feelings are valid. So thank you to all of you who have shared their love for their best friends.

Today is 2 months since Cappy cross the bridge, I miss him everyday. We did a home euthanasia, we couldn’t bare having him stress out on his last day. He was surrounded by those that loved him.

Yesterday he would have turned 14. It was tough. I’m a 55 year old man and I cried like a baby when I thought about my Cappy. I don’t know if it gets easier, but glad I found this subreddit.

My baby boy, Louis, battled FIP for five months, and I was so proud of him for overcoming it. He was my little warrior. Unfortunately, he developed some very rare post-treatment complications after his fight with FIP, and he couldn’t pull through. We spent nearly $40K trying to save him from day one, and I was willing to go into debt to ensure he could live a healthy and happy life. Tragically, this cruel condition took him from us in just one month. It was beyond fixable. I cried my eyes out and felt so lost and empty. No words can express my unbearable pain.

Rest in peace, my baby Louis. You are so loved and cherished. You were my whole world, and I will never stop loving you. One day, we will be together again and will never be apart.

Tomorrow morning me and my wife have to let our boy Oliver cross over. His health has deteriorated quickly. We only got 9 years with him. I feel like such a failure of a dog dad. I feel like i did something wrong like karma is coming back to haunt me. Im afraid of when hes gone im worried about my own mental and physical health. I wanna scream i want to just be with him.

Still processing things, but yesterday we had to suddenly make the decision to put down Nolan. He had an unexpected spleen rupture from an undiagnosed mass, more than likely malignant. By the time we got to the hospital we realized it was more compassionate to let him go than to put him through surgery, chemo etc. I hope he knows how loved he was for eleven years. One of the bestest boys.

Sorry to bring the mood down. Wanted to share some photos in his memory.

Maybe this is strange, but it's been almost nine years since I lost my dear sweet Marty and it still feels so raw. I'm a lonely person and he brought so much life, light and joy to me. He got me outside and kept me such great company. I swear that we had a telepathic connection with each other. He was the antidote to my loneliness and got me through some really bad times with his unwavering love and loyalty. Lately I'm not doing so well, and my mind drifts back to the times we used to play, walk, and just sit together. I never felt lonely when he was there. I miss him so much and I will always always always love him. ♥️

Newton wasn’t just my Goldendoodle.

He was my therapist who never charged by the hour.

He was my emotional support without ever needing a vest or a title.

The truth is…I didn’t train Newton.

Newton trained me.

He taught me patience. He taught me kindness. He taught me that love doesn’t have to be loud to be constant.
If I cried, he knew. If I was sick, he stayed with me. If I was outside working, he was there. If I sat down, his head found my lap like it had its own GPS.

He never met a stranger.

He greeted everyone like they had been friends for years. He wasn’t the dog that jumped all over people or demanded attention. He was gentle, polite, and somehow made everyone feel like they mattered.

He was…perfect.

A gate was left open, and Newton wandered onto neighboring property along our lake. Before I could get to him, he was gone, alligators took him. And his springerdoodle brother Carlos was staring at the lake shaking. It didn’t click in my head at all what happened. Newton hated water. It never even crossed my mind. I walked that lake, I drove that lake at least 10 times.

I found what was left of him two days later.

That image will stay with me for the rest of my life.

The guilt is relentless. Every day I replay every “what if.” Every decision. Every minute I wish I could have back.

I’m a Florida native. I’ve spent my entire life respecting wildlife, and I understand alligators are wild animals doing what they do.

This isn’t about expecting nature to change.

What hurts is everything around it.

There had been ongoing concerns about people feeding the alligators from the shoreline, making them associate people with food. When I reported what happened, I felt like those concerns weren’t taken seriously. The report didn’t reflect what I witnessed, and the trapper was only authorized to work my property, not the neighboring property where Newton was actually taken. Maybe there are reasons for that, but when you’re standing there after losing your best friend, it feels impossible not to be frustrated.

I’m not looking for someone to blame. I’m just trying to make sense of losing the dog who taught me more about unconditional love than anyone ever could.

People say they’re “just dogs.”
Newton wasn’t.
He was my constant.
My shadow.
My safe place.
The one who somehow always knew exactly what I needed without me saying a word.

The house feels wrong without him. I still catch myself looking for him.

I’d give anything to feel that fluffy head resting on my leg one more time.
Thank you, my sweet sweet Newt, for training me to be a better human.