Dogs are like our babies, especially to those of us without children. They greet us when we get home, they love us no matter what we look like or how we act. When I’ve had a terrible day and pull into the driveway and stick my key into the door, a little black nose peeks through and a blond cocker spaniel waits for me, wagging her tail. My dog, Sadie, takes away my worries without even trying.

Yesterday, my friend, Stephanie, called me and said, “Razzy died.”

Razzy was her fourteen year old Yorkie and she had been with Stephanie through good times and bad. She was there when Stephanie got a high paying job, when she bought her huge house and when her daughter graduated high school. She was there when Stephanie lost her daughter, when her father died and when her boyfriend left, but through it all, she was always by Stephanie’s side.

Stephanie and her nephew had rushed Razzy to the vet, because she was struggling to breathe. The vet said Razzy had congested heart failure and was fighting to inhale and exhale. Stephanie held her in her arms and Razzy took a shallow breath, lay her head on Stephanie’s shoulder and passed.

Now, the grieving begins. I think the hardest part is coming home and not seeing their eager faces, hearing their paws clip across the floor and feeling them brush against you. Okay, all of it’s hard.

What I remember most about Razzy was her ability to bond with other dogs so quickly. My dog doesn’t do well with other dogs but she did well with Razzy. Even my mom’s crazy Daisy did. At the cabin, they formed a loving pack. If you can believe it, Razzy was the leader. The other dogs allowed her to eat first and if Razzy took their food, they let her. Razzy would follow them around and snuggle next to them at night. They went for walks and little Razzy kept up with them.

Good- bye sweet Razzy. Your pack misses you and will never forget you.