I had to say goodbye to my souldog, Oliver, after almost 15 years together. I remember seeing his photo online and I blurted out “That’s my dog and his name is Oliver.” And it was! When I picked him up, a little scared munchkin only 8 weeks old, I said – you don’t know it yet, but we are going to be best friends. And that was the beginning of the greatest love I’ve ever experienced.

Affectionately known as “Snuggie,” nicknamed by his human “cousins,” he wasn’t particularly snuggly himself, but his fur was VERY soft, and he absolutely LOVED people – mostly for the treats and attention they could provide. We moved a lot, Oliver drove with me cross-country four times, lived in five states, and made friends wherever we went. Especially in the last few years, where his mobility waned, we could only really walk one full block. You better believe we knew every single person (and dog) on that block. People would stop to take photos with him, even pulled their cars off the road to ask me what kind of magical creature it was that I had with me. He had that effect on people.

Despite his curmudgeonly attitude (was he becoming deaf in his old age or just done listening to me?), he was very well trained and behaved, even passing the AKC Canine Good Citizen test – being so food motivated definitely helped (bring on the cheese!).

Although he had been very sick for a few years, he always seemed to bounce back and get better. Unfortunately, it finally caught up to us, but he never lost his hilarious attitude. To be able to say goodbye at home was absolutely priceless, it’s a treasured memory that I will never forget. I held him in my arms and played the song “Oliver James” by Fleet Foxes and read the poem “Death Is Nothing At All” by Henry Scott Holland.

In that poem it says “Let my name be ever the household word that it always was …. Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?” And I promise you, my baby boy, you will always be close, in heart, mind and spirit.

Thank you for 15 wonderful years, my sweet potato. I miss you every day.
~Francesca C.