My best friend Buddy

by Caroline
(Houston, Texas)

Today, May 25, 2010, Buddy was put to rest and sent to Heaven. He was 13 and the happiest dog you could have ever met.

Lately he had been struggling to get up and control his bladder. He spent his final day resting, getting loved on by the family and eating his favorite snacks of pupperonis, milkbones and cheese.

We got Buddy when I was just 6 years old, and he has been through so much with the Howell family. He truly was an enormous part of our family. His loss has put a giant hole through the hearts of us and his companion, Sophie.

Budman enjoyed swimming during the summer in the pool, rolling in the seaweed at the beach to scratch his back, playing catch, eating off our dinner plates, and most of all, spending time with the family. My brother is in Heaven now running free in the water with bones galore, but he is already missed so much back here on Earth.

Buddy was a big 125 pound dog who could scare anyone away by his looks, but he was the sweetest animal you could ever imagine. In Buddy's years he has: lived in 3 different houses, run wild on the beach, drunk out of many toilets, met hundreds of people, gone swimming almost every day of the summer, seen his fair share of fights, played in the yard while Dad was cooking out, eaten parts of our every day dinners, met the boy of my dreams and been the light of my life. I can't imagine living with out him and these past few hours have been incredibly difficult.

The best feeling in the world was coming home from college and having him greet me at the door and wag his tail for hours after I came home.

We love you with all our hearts, Buddy. We will never find another like you. Please watch down on us and when we see you one day, I know you will be at Heaven's gates to greet us.