One of the hardest things pet owners have to go through is the day that you have to say goodbye to your furry friend for good. Pets are a part of the family. They are our best friends. And sometimes it may seem like we need them more than they need us. So, whether it be due to something that cut your animal's life a little short, or age is just getting the best of them, it is never easy to let them go.

I recently went through the loss of two pets just in this past year, and it was the hardest thing to go through. In January I lost my best friend of 17 years, Margarita Chanel (Rita for short). My family got that sweet little girl when I was only 3 years old. She was always a feisty little thing and definitely the queen of the house. And she made sure all of our other dogs knew it. She had the biggest personality. She was a chunky little girl that never seemed to get enough food, no matter how much she had already eaten. We used to call her a little vacuum because she spent the majority of her time in the kitchen licking the floor clean just in case there might be any crumbs lying around.

It seemed like she was going to live forever.

But out of nowhere, she lost all desire to eat, move, or even assert her dominance. It was so difficult seeing the once lively little Chihuahua lose all motivation to do anything. She had already lived so long that I ignored the fact that her age would ever be an issue. When it was finally her time to go, I couldn't believe it. There was no way a dog that had lived a long, healthy and energetic 17 years was suddenly gone. It didn't seem real. I couldn't even remember a time in my life where she wasn't there. She was in all the family albums of me as a toddler until me as a sophomore in college. She watched me grow from a baby nugget to a slightly larger adult nugget. I forgot that while I was growing up, she was aging too, but dogs don't get the privilege of living 80 year long lives. Luckily, I had my Aussie puppy there to cheer me up.

I had gotten my little Aussie, Maverick, the summer after my freshman year of college. I literally picked him up the second I moved out of my dorm when he was just a little fluff ball. He was my first big girl purchase. He was MY dog, MY responsibility, MY ultimate best friend. Our relationship was different than my relationship with our family dogs. I loved my family dogs, but mine and Mav's relationship was a little different since we lived together away from the dogs that lived at my parents' house. He helped me get through tough times in school and tough times in life, including the passing of sweet Rita. Maverick and I did everything together. He was the best boy out there. He woke me up every morning with his sweet kisses and showed a loyalty to me that I had never experienced before. He never left my side. He was the definition of a Velcro dog. If I went to the shower, he would hang out right outside of the shower until I got out then see what we were going to do next. If I left the dinner table, he left the dinner table. If I went upstairs, there he was right behind me. He was the happiest, most animated, and most energetic dog ever.

Nobody would've ever guessed that there was ever anything wrong with him, not even the vets.

When he unexpectedly passed away at the young age of a year and four months, I was in shock. I didn't believe it. It couldn't have been true. It couldn't have been MY Maverick that passed. The Maverick that was always playing, always on the go, and always cuddling. It just didn't seem right. My mind couldn't and didn't want to comprehend what had happened. I felt sick to my stomach. The pain of losing him didn't seem like it would ever subside. I did everything with him. The quietness of the house was the worst part. It was a constant reminder that he was gone. I didn't know what to do. I missed him so much, and I still do, and 3 months have already passed.

The only thing that got me through the pain of losing him was a reminder from a dear friend who had also recently lost her college fur baby unexpectedly. She reminded me that our babies wouldn't have wanted us to be sad because they spent their life doing everything to make us happy, and that they gave us an important gift while they were with us. They showed us what unconditional love is. They taught us how to love bigger and harder and just be better people. She made me realize that wallowing over the death of my sweet boy wouldn't bring him back, and instead, I should remember and cherish all of the wonderful memories we had made together.

Our pets come into our lives and make us better. They teach us how to love better and be better. They love us no matter what, but they'll never forget the time they had with us, even when it's their time to go. The best thing we can do is continue to live our lives with the lessons they taught us. The pain of losing them sucks, but the joy they brought while they were here is unmatched, and for that, we should be forever grateful.

In loving memory of Maverick, Rita, and my sweet friend's baby, Whiskey.