Here lies a thank you letter to man's best friend, and personally, to the dog pictured above, a letter of love to my tiny right hand man, Maxx, for over 13 years.

Thank you for always being so full of life, and always managing to put a smile on my face. There are times and there are moments when my day is really tough, maybe I'm having a fight with a friend, just failed a test, or maybe it has just been one of those days; but regardless, you are always there with your cute little puppy eyes and ready to cuddle. You know, it all sounds so simple, and truthfully it is: dogs are people too. Or at least in the sense that they provide the same kind of support and love that people can provide. In fact, there was a study that of 217 people who owned pets, they agreed to feeling more self-esteem, being more physically fit, feeling less lonely, more socially outgoing, and had overall happier and healthier relationships than non-pet owners. And if you think about it, there are just about 37-47 percent of all households in the US that have dogs, so that's a lot of happy people in the world (or at least that's how I like to look at it).

Thank you for being just about the cutest thing I have ever seen, and for never failing to be exactly who you are. Dogs are honest, just like little kids in that sense; when they don't like something, you'll know, and when they do, you'll know that too. But, more than that, dogs have a genuine sense about them. I know something I appreciate is realness and authenticity, and sometimes that is hard to find in people. But, dogs are easy; they love you. Dogs don't care if a second ago you accidentally stepped on their foot or that you didn't give them another treat. You are their person, their best friend too.

Thank you for bringing my family such joy, laughter, happiness, and fun. You may be physically small, but to us, you are such a big part of this family. Any person who owns a dog knows exactly what this feeling is. Dogs are technically just pets, an animal you take care of and you love, but in the end, it turns out that it's your dog who takes care of you and loves you. Perhaps the relationship between a person and their dog starts out as a one way street, but in my experience, I have learned that it turns into a total love affair. They become family.

So in the end, thank you. Thank you for the years of extra happiness you have brought into my life, and for the loyalty and love you have shown my family and I. You are my dog, my companion, my best friend, my cuddle buddy, and my family.

Thank you (ruff ruff).