The Friends Our Dogs Leave Behind

The loss of a beloved pet sucks.

There, I said it.

But funny enough, this isn’t really a story about losing dogs. It’s about what they leave behind.

Recently, a friend lost her faithful companion of 16 years. Cheese was a spunky Dachshund with attitude. I recognised her “my life, my rules” personality — rather similar to how I’ve also been described — the first time my own dogs met her. I suspect my dogs saw the same thing because they all got along splendidly.

A few months before her passing, I was asked if I could dogsit Cheese for about two weeks. Seeing that our household had been dogless for almost four years, I jumped at the opportunity. No, I wasn’t ready to have dogs of my own again. I simply enjoyed being a dog nanny. I’ve been doing the same for my brother’s pooches, in fact.

Come to think of it, perhaps I should dogsit as a side hustle. Haha.

As expected, Cheese was every bit as hardheaded as I was. And very vocally demanding. It took a few days before we both realised that if this arrangement was going to work, we’d have to earn each other’s respect.

By the end of her two-week staycation, I knew I was going to miss her. I was later told she might have missed me too.

So when news of Cheese’s passing came, I was devastated.

At 16, she didn’t behave the way many senior dogs do. She still bounced around like a little pup and had the vocal prowess of a dog half her age. It was hard to believe she was gone.

But what warmed my heart amidst the sadness was watching my little circle of dog buddies rally around our friend as she navigated one of the hardest goodbyes a pet owner can experience.

Our little group chat is called the Fantastic 4. Yes, we were not that creative.

Around 15 years ago, we were simply four dog pawrents who happened to meet at the Bishan Dog Run. Almost religiously, we’d gather every Saturday morning with our dogs in tow. While our furry troublemakers wreaked havoc around the park, we exchanged training tips, laughed over their latest antics, and somehow ended up talking about life just as much as we talked about dogs.

Little did we know that those Saturday mornings would grow into the kind of friendship that would outlast the dog runs themselves.

Before long, we were finding every excuse to get together. We’d check out dog-friendly cafés, organise playdates at each other’s homes, celebrate birthdays, and occasionally meet without the dogs just because we enjoyed each other’s company.

Then, as life inevitably does, it happened.

One by one, our beloved companions crossed the Rainbow Bridge.

The walks became fewer. The playdates stopped. The leashes disappeared.

But the friendship remained.

We still keep in touch through our group chat, and whenever schedules permit, we meet up — this time without dogs tugging at our arms or begging for treats under the table.

Looking back, I realise something.

Our dogs didn’t just bring us together. They unknowingly introduced us to people who would become lifelong friends. Even after they were gone, those friendships remained. I think that’s a pretty remarkable legacy for a bunch of four-legged troublemakers.

So this post is for Cheese, and for all our own “babies” who earned their angel wings far too soon.

Thank you for the years of unconditional love, the muddy paw prints, the chewed-up toys, the early morning walks, and the countless memories.

Good job, doggies!