Rani Tuchman was much more than just a Bichon Frise, to me, he was my child. When Rani passed away in my arms after a long illness, I was heartbroken.

He was my constant companion for 14 years. I couldn’t imagine a world without Rani. He had been a source of comfort and love throughout my own chronic illness which caused me to be housebound for many years. But in the last year of Rani’s life I was the one who was taking care of him.

When Rani died, it felt like part of me had died.

For days I cried and grieved. My partner, Adam, felt helpless. Not quite knowing how to ease my grief, he suggested I gather pictures of Rani and make a collage, in the hopes that that would help me lessen my sadness. I began sorting Rani’s photographs, but I found it too painful to make the memorial.

The next day, Adam discovered the pictures and set to work to make a slideshow tribute to Rani. It truly was an act of love.For two days he put together an animation of Rani’s happiest moments in order to cheer me up.

When it was completed, I watched it over and over again. The slideshow showed Rani at his most joyous: when he was playing with children. The images of Rani’s suffering in his final days were now replaced with images of Rani’s joyous life. And as I watched, my heart began to heal. I sent the movie out as a link to a few friends and family, and they in turn sent it to their friends and family. And then before we knew it, our little movie of Rani began to take on a life of its own.

We received letters from people in England, California, Hawaii. Australia, Sweden, Arizona.They spoke of how they could feel Rani’s spirit of unconditional love through the movie and how it moved them to tears. They remembered their own pet children who had passed away and who had touched their lives with unconditional love.

Our pets are the healers of our hearts.

Julia from NY