Skye

I lost my dear friend yesterday when my dog, a shetland sheepdog, or sheltie, named Skye, died.

Here's the first picture we ever took of him.  He was happy to have a new home:

Pets are amazing.  I love my kids, but trust me, I never once placed my dog on the same pedestal as them.  Pets fulfill a relationship far different than children.  Early on, when they're puppies, they can be like children, but the role they eventually encapsulate is companion.  They want to be your friend.  They want your affection, and will give it back 1000 fold to ensure they keep receiving it.

I found Skye at the Humane Society in early 2012.  I'd never had a sheltie before.  One of the things that drew me to him was how gorgeous he was.  I decided since I had a Scottish dog, I would give him a Scottish name.  His name came from the Isle of Skye; a beautiful island, which seemed appropriate for how pretty his was.  We brought him home, and he quickly became everything my family wanted in a dog.  For four and a half years he's been a constant presence in our lives, relating to us individually.  Talking with my kids, it's remarkable how their relationship with Skye was so different from mine.

We knew he was getting older, starting to have problems with rheumatoid arthritis, but we thought we'd have a few more years with him.  Yesterday morning, I took him for a morning walk, fed him, and everything seemed fine.  At some point, something in him ruptured; he was dying from internal bleeding.  I got off the air yesterday, and when I got home, I discovered he had passed away 10 minutes earlier.

I'm not alright.  I'm sad to the core.  I know the pain will pass, and eventually I'll get another dog, but there will always be only one Skye.

Here are six of my favorite pictures of him.

Here is the last photo we took of him.  It was 11 days ago at our cabin.

I miss my friend.