Throughout our lives we encounter few joys that can come close to the loyalty and love of a pet. Terra was a red Akita born in 1994. Her markings emphasized her dignity and grace. She seemed to understand our every word. She loved the children and kept watch over every squabble and every tear. As gentle as she was, she stood guard when she sensed our fear and knew we could not stand on our own. She was a trooper through our life changes and bumpy roads. She loved to chew up socks and shoes as a puppy and was a master at tug of war. She loved to eat popsicles. She was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in January 2004. The cancer had spread and she had lost so much weight. She tolerated the pain for weeks while I feared life without her. It broke my heart to let her go. What happiness she brought us. I hold dear the precious memories of our time together to this day.
Mita was my second Akita we adopted in 2000. She was a bouncing happy Akita that followed Terra’s every move. She and I spent many nights sitting on the couch together grieving our loss. Mita was no small companion at 120 pounds. Her brindled beauty made her appear so fierce, so contrary to her exuberant joyful spirit. Mita worshiped my grand-daughter, she was so gentle. She was by pet burro; my dad called her Buttercup. Ironically given her size, she is the only companion I have ever had that loved a plastic squeaky toy and never chewed a hole in it. She loved to eat ice from my dad’s cooler and my grand-daughter’s tiny hands. I had hoped she would live forever. To my devastation, she too was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in October 2010. The vet said there were no good options given her age, a previous surgery on her back leg, arthritis, and size. I had been down this road before. My heart is so heavy; I miss her companionship and her happy spirit. Life will always be marked by this loss.
Thank you for sharing your tributes and thank you for letting me share mine. I was faced with grieving this loss alone and realized the companionship and joy they brought truly overshadows the pain of loss. I am honored to have been with them thru their journey. It has been only a month since I held my big brindled baby until she took her last breath; I miss her terribly each day. I now have a puppy that can never fill their place in my heart, but will have another piece of her very own.

— Patricia from Madison, AL