For me, pets have always been considered part of my family. Growing up, my pets were never treated as a pet, but as a sibling or child, so losing one feels like losing a brother or sister. So for me, my pets become siblings, which are part of my identity. It does not matter how many dogs, cats, horses or even chickens I have had, losing one never gets easier.

When I lost you, I lost a part of myself.

I have lost numerous pets throughout my life, and let me tell you, each one hurts just as bad and just as deep. I have been lucky enough to have had some of the best dogs and cats to help me through every stage of life. It also seems for me that these pets have blessed me at the right times through my development.

I'm going to tell you about a few of these wonderful pets I have been fortunate enough to have in my life.

When I was five and fell off my bike and skinned my knee, my best friend, my black lab Jake was there and licked the tears away and let me lay on him forever and use his fur as a personal tissue. He took turns sleeping with me and my younger brother when we had bad dreams or just could not sleep. Jake also put up with me trying to teach him agility when I was seven. Here was this 100 pound black lab just following me around, and a little girl crawling through tubes that Jake did not fit through. He was the best dog, no one who knew him didn't like him. He donated blood to other dogs in need and never flinched, he was rock solid, always there for anyone in need.

When I was eight, my family rescued a retired breeding dog named Tilly, and having minimal responsibilities at the time, the idea of taking care of her was very exciting to me. When I told my mom I wanted her to be mine, she told me if I wanted her I would need to take care of her. Like Jake, Tilly would follow me anywhere. We even took my bed frame apart and I slept on a mattress on the floor because she could not jump onto the bed. Tilly was the old lady of the group. Together we volunteered and visited the local nursing home once a week for two years. Everyone knew Tilly. It would make my day to see her happy face whenever we walked into the nursing home. Two years later, Tilly was diagnosed with cancer, my first up close and personal encounter with it. I never wanted her to suffer, and in two short years she taught me so much.

Where do I even begin, this is Jasper, my "golden bubby," as I called him. We got Jasper and his sister as puppies when I was fifteen. Jasper was attached to me like no other, he was there for my first breakup and when I got my license. Jasper was my confidant, cuddling with me when I felt like my heart was breaking, or running around with me when I was in the best of moods. Jasper and I used to drive around for hours, he loved car rides and I loved to talk to him for hours on end. Whether he could talk back or not, I knew he was always listening. To say we were inseparable would be an understatement. To this day his picture and paw print sits by my bed and there he is always with me. The hardest part about Jasper is that I was not there to say goodbye, he passed away in his sleep while I was on vacation, gone too soon by an unfortunate accident. Not being there for him will always haunt me.

About two weeks ago, very recently, I lost my dog, Sophie. She would have been ten in December. Sophie matched me to a T; she was an introvert, smart, and she spent most of her time chilling by herself. She was never attached to many people, but boy was she attached to me. The beauty of Sophie was in our relationship, we greeted each other with affection, and then often would just sit in comfortable silence or watch tv. Even if we were in separate rooms, I always knew she was there. Sophie was a natural lab, great hunter, excellent tracker, and she loved going on walks and adventures. Whether it was her walking perimeters at night or sitting next to me to watch thunderstorms, we made each other feel safe. The past three years I have been away at college, so seeing each other when I went home was that much more exciting, but it is also easy to take those moments for granted. When tragedy struck and Sophie got hit by a car, I was home, but I didn't hear my phone ring. My mom was trying to give me the chance to say a last goodbye, and I didn't have my phone around. I couldn't be there to tell her that it was going to be okay and that she was going to see all of her friends at the rainbow bridge. She is there, and I know she's playing with Jake, Tilly and Jasper (her boyfriend). There has not been a day that I have thought about her and wished I could go back to that night.

Here's to all of you, my siblings and my friends. I would not be who I am or where I am had it not been for you and so many others in my life. Love and cherish your pets, because you are most likely all they know, and you are what completes their life.

There is a story a veterinarian has told of an encounter he had with a young boy and his family. The vet received an emergency call and headed over to the house, where he discovered that the dog was dying from cancer and there was nothing he could do. The family gathered and stayed with the dog as he peacefully slipped away, the family and the veterinarian began to wonder why animals have shorter lives than humans, at this discussion, the little boy spoke up. What he said next is the most comforting explanation I have heard.

"People are born so that they can learn to have a good life- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right? Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long."