Pet Memorial

10.13.2011 – 9.19.2023

Ali joined our family in November 2011 when he was just four and a half weeks old. He was one of six male puppies from a litter of eight. I had the chance to meet his brothers and sisters as well as his mom when I went to visit the family, who had listed the most adorable boxer puppies for sale. As I looked at all the tiny boxers trotting around, I noticed one in particular. He had a brown face and a white star on his chest. As I attempted to reach for him, he turned around and licked my finger. I immediately knew he picked me for life. I wasted no time and brought him home that day.

The rest of our family didn’t know I was coming home with a puppy. It took only one look for the head of our household, my mom, to immediately fall in love with baby Ali. From that moment on, Ali became Mom’s little shadow. We attempted to put rules in place—like Ali couldn’t be on the couch, or that he could only sleep in his own bed at night—but obviously, those rules ceased to exist within 24 hours of Ali being home. At six months old, Mom started feeding Ali home-cooked meals—a variety of meats with pearl barley, carrots, zucchini, potatoes, and eggs. For treats, Ali always had either steak bites, chicken breast bites, or pork chop bites. Mom also never finished a meal without giving Ali her last bite. The word “spoiled” is an understatement when describing our precious Ali.

Ali had a full life with countless long walks and cuddles. His favourite toys were balls—squeaky, bouncy, glowy…it didn’t matter to him as long as it was round and squishy. We used to laugh when he tried to fit more than one ball in his mouth just so his sister Lily couldn’t get one. He loved to be chased and to play hide and seek. He was never really good at hiding, but he loved a good hunt. It always took me longer to hide than for him to find me. The only things he really hated were cords. He wouldn’t step over any cord…even if it was just a phone charger. True to his boxer nature, he was very affectionate but super stingy with his kisses. If you got one a day, you could count yourself lucky. He loved to give you his paw, but do not ask for any kisses.

At age 10, Ali’s face had already turned quite white, but his spirit and energy remained unchanged. For the first time, he started showing signs of slowing down. It was during these initial moments that our family realized our beloved boy was aging and his time with us would one day come to an end. The thought of losing him never really crossed our minds prior to the first time we saw Ali struggle to get up on the couch, or when we noticed that he just didn’t run as fast as he once did. We knew we had to slow down and take in every moment. As time went on, Ali’s hind legs continued getting weaker. We put carpet down everywhere in the house just to help the old boy get around.

In May 2022, tragedy struck our family, and Mom passed away unexpectedly. Ali lost his human and his best friend. To have seen a dog grieve so deeply broke my heart even more than it was already broken. We cried together and cuddled while our world fell apart. Ali really was the companion I needed during the most difficult time in life. Even though his legs weren’t strong, he became my rock and carried me through the darkest days. He was now my little shadow.

Much like every dog parent, making the decision to help him cross the rainbow bridge and reunite with our mama was the hardest decision I ever had to make. It took months of internal bargaining to decide that what was best for him outweighed my emotions and selfish desires. With Dr. Ronderson and Dr. Monique’s compassionate service, I was able to say goodbye to my sweet boy in the comfort of our little home. I kissed him and held his head while he took his final breath. I told him to give Mom some kisses because I’m sure she needed them. My heart aches every time I think of my sweet Ali now. I will miss him forever. The final year of his life was the most painful physically and emotionally for him, and I’m eternally grateful to have had him by my side to get through our darkest hours. His love and memory will live with me for the rest of my days.

Rest in peace, my sweet, special boy. We’ll see each other again one day. I love you forever.