It began with Buddy, a chow-lab mix puppy that we got when I was ten years old (my one and only childhood dog). We grew up together and after my only brother died, my sister got married and moved out, as did I, Buddy remained with my parents who, quite frankly, didn't even want to get a dog in the first place. Buddy was 15 when the family made the decision to let him go (I was 25). Fast-forward to 2/4/12, I lost my beloved Chihuahua, Carmen after a sudden onset of illness that left her in shock and dying. I had to make that decision, too.

On 5/18/12, Rudy, a border collie/Samoyed mix-our "old man"-nearly 15 years old and we got him as a pup back in 1998. He was failing rather quickly...he had gone deaf and was having trouble getting up and staying up. He was becoming disoriented and spent a lot of time getting "stuck" in corners that weren't actually there or impeding him from moving. He just felt stuck, I guess. We had to make the decision to let him go, too. I kept praying that God would take him in his sleep, and bring him to the Rainbow Bridge to meet up with Carmen and Buddy. But the "old man" kept hanging on and I'm so sorry if by letting him go on I made him suffer at all. That's a regret I'll have to live with...it was solely due to my own selfishness of not wanting to live without him.

But these beautiful, wonderful and unconditionally-loving creatures have always brought so much comfort, joy and happiness to me and my family that I know just the memories of them alone will continue to bring on these feelings. Unfortunately, with losing them and now not being able to see them, hear them, touch them, love them can bring such an overwhelming sense of loss and sadness that sometimes it's almost too much to bear.

I take great comfort in knowing that I will be with all of them again, some day. I know that they'll never stop waiting for me.