Losing Remi, January 2026

The moment I saw Remi's shelter photo, it was love at first sight. 

 

I spent about 2 seconds trying to talk myself out of getting a THIRD dog, and then reasoned since Orian was half the size of Jake, and Remi would be half the size of Jake, it evened out. 

He was 11, having spent his whole life with one family (and other dogs) only to be left at the shelter, heartbroken and shaking. Jake, who had the same back story, had just died at 11 and I would have given anything for more time. 

From the day Remi came home, I was on heightened awareness that my time would be short with him, and what a gift that was. In the end, from the day he came home and I promised him he would never be left behind again, to his last day in my arms, we had 1210 days, which was more than I expected when I brought him home and so much less than I wanted. Forever wouldn't have been long enough. 

After 3 years, 3 months, and 23 days, on Nick's 33rd birthday, my third dog, at 33 pounds, took his last breath as I held him. So it seems fitting after 33 days of grief, I (start to) share my precious loss here.

The general rule of shelter pets is three days before they begin to understand their new place, three weeks to reach the next "settle" point of getting situated, and three months before it became really home. Remi's first night was his unsure period, waiting near the front door, panting, and a bit confused. 

 But after that night, Remi seemed to blast through that timeline within the first week. 

On his first walk, the first morning, the pack felt complete with his presence.

His smile on our first walk

very quickly I learned the Remi dance that would happen as I got ready to throw a tennis ball

and very quickly he decided his place was going to be right up in my chair with me

He became my constant at my side buddy wherever we were

Aidan wouldn't warm up to Orian by himself, but with Remi as his wingman, 

he'd sometimes join in

 

 

His first vet visit and cone of shame

Christmas 2022

2023

one of his favorite things was to shove his head up under pillows 

and burrow himself into a little Remi pillow fort

Remi never had a cat in the home, but he was very interested in Corinne's (our next door neighbor's) He got to meet them through the door as we sat next door during the one chaotic day of showing the house for sale.

our very last walk in Highlands Ranch

and our last photo in the house on moving day

heading to our new home in Loveland

and heading out for our first walks the next morning

Long before I even knew we'd be moving, I had set up a trip that ended up being the next weekend after the move. That week we moved in was high stress with a bunch of people coming in and out to fix up things and Aidan and Orian getting snippy with each other and Remi trying to get in the middle of things. When I was gone for two days, I came back to him nearly immobilized from a back strain. Luckily he was able to bounce back with good meds and some laser therapy. This one really scared me.

But he was back to normal the same week

our first summer, just a tiny smattering of sunflowers showed up

my little co-pilot