I wrote this blog last year when things around me seemed to be crumbling due to personal losses in my family. Sadly, my 13 year old dog was part of those losses and had to be euthanized due to extraordinary pain secondary to cancer that had spread to his pelvic bone. He is gone, but the memory of him through this blog post, that I never published, brings me joy. He was a medical mess but was so greatly loved. I miss that little guy, but the amazing memories of sharing life with him was worth the sadness of loss to me. Easier to say, now that time has softened the blow. Here is that blog: 

Being a veterinarian that helps people say good-bye to their beloved pets in the home, I travel a lot and come across many touching tributes and experiences. Because I am very focused at helping my patients and families, I know I miss a lot of them too. Recently, I was fortunate to stumble across what you see in this picture. I had to step out of an appointment to get an item from my car and when I came back, after already traversing the walkway to the home twice without seeing them, I noticed dog paw prints that had been stamped into the concrete walkway toward the home. They were perfectly imperfect; not symmetrical and unevenly spaced, they veered off to the left and off the path once entering the gate. They were perfect in the fact that they were so real, so intentional and the depression in the concrete had perfect depth so it made them stand out. I couldn't believe I had missed them. 

The human-animal-bond is, at it's essence, the strong relationship we share with pets in our lives. It is often mutual, and there are deep emotional, physical, social and psychological reasons for its existence. The release of oxytocin during animal interactions can decrease ones heart rate, blood pressure and stress hormones.