Aspen

October/November 2014 - August 7, 2026

Well girl, you rest now.

​Aspen, you were the best girl, the greatest singer around, the most theatrical, and the most loyal. We don't have the words to sum up how much we are going to miss you, or how no dog will ever come close to you.

​We hate that we'll never see your ears perk up again, or feel their silkiness. We hate that we'll never bear witness to your perfectly eyelined stare with your signature eyebrow raise again. We hate that we'll never hear you howl when we come through the door, or when you say "please" or speak. We'll never hear you sing "Happy Birthday" again, or see your sad attempt at "bang." We hate losing you. There is nothing fun about this.

​However, we know how lucky we were to have time; we got the longest goodbye. That doesn't change how hard this is, but it gave us time to come to terms with losing you.

​You changed our lives in ways we could never fully express. You brought us outside, kept us moving, and filled our days with strength, health, and adventure. We've seen beauty we never would have seen without you. We are who we are today because of you, girl.

​We will forever advocate 'adopt, don't shop' because of you, our rez dog. We know your story, and we know the life you lived before you found us. We’ll spend our days speaking up for dogs like you—the underdog in so many ways, but in none of the ways that ever truly mattered. We took a chance on you, and never once regretted it from that moment on. Our full-bred mutt.

​Our hearts will be heavy, and the house eerily quiet. We will ache whenever we put a toy of yours away or find a tuft of your hair. This hurts, and we will ache so deeply from your loss.

​We hope we gave you a full life. We've had so many adventures throughout your life; we wish we could have had so many more. But we know we loved you right to the end, and we know you loved us. And that will have to be enough.

​Aspen, you're the best girl. We will spend the rest of our lives missing you.