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

(to be continued)