Dear Chia,
Tomorrow, we say goodbye, and I’m struggling to imagine my life without you. I can’t believe I won’t see your face at the door when I come home anymore. I’ll always wish I could’ve helped you more, but you grew so much.

I remember how scared you were when I picked you up from the rescue shelter and how hard it was for you to trust people. We grew your confidence slowly, you made friends, and made a name for yourself at our apartment complex. You loved your Auntie Nat so much, you slept in her bed every night when we lived together and waited by the door for her to come home. We played “anti-anxiety music for dogs” a lot. You fell in love with our neighbor’s dog, Lil B, and loved your playdates.

In November 2020, we moved in with a new roommate and your first cat friend, Winnie. Baby gates became a staple in our apartment, but slowly you both adjusted. You liked to play with most dogs, and we went to Meridian Hill Park every day. You still struggled to trust, and you started anxiety medication to help. I managed you closely and thought about you constantly.

You spent hours in the Spring and Summer on the rooftop with us. You loved to sunbathe, play with the hose, chase flies, cuddle your human friends, and watch movies on the projector. You went to the vet after you swallowed a sock (not your first), but they sent you home and described you as “bright and lively”. You met my family and immediately took to my older brother; he was one of your favorite people to play with.

That Winter we moved into our own place. I was lonely at first, and I was grateful to have you. We started behavioral training with Joe every Wednesday. All the trainers were shocked by how intelligent and observant you were. We worked on desensitizing you to strange dogs and people, it took a lot of patience, but you made some progress.

When it started getting warmer, we went for long walks in Rock Creek Park, and waded in the stream. We’d always bring apples slices, one of your favorite snacks. I set up a doggy camera at home so I could check on you while I was out. Things were tough sometimes, you didn’t like dogs anymore, but you loved your trusted people and we loved you. I was willing to do everything.
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Finally, you moved to California with me. I didn’t know if we could do it, but I knew I couldn’t do it without you. You were so brave on the plane; I was so proud of you. We slept on an air mattress for a month and you got to explore the ocean. You saw my family again and met a few new friends. You spent your last weekend with grandma and me.

You were so loved. I’m so grateful that it was by me. Thank you for teaching me patience, forgiveness, accountability, loyalty, trust, and unconditional love. I hope your tail always wags when you sleep, and you always have a comforter to burrow under, a spoonful of peanut butter, a sunny rooftop, and grass to roll in. I’ll miss you every day, but the love you brought into my life was more than I ever could have asked for. I’ll always love you Chi, and I know I’ll find pieces of you in moments for the rest of my life. Thank you for that.
Till next time.
-Shaila B.