Kodak was my bestfriend. I don’t think I can ever really express the bond I had with this dog. He was a black and grey coated Husky. He had heterochromia, meaning he had two different colored eyes. One icy blue and the other an amber brown.

He was a calm dog, I think that’s one of the things I loved most about him.  I’m writing this in memory of him, although he’s been gone for about five years now—I still think about him. Especially since my 14 birthday, when I came to the realization that now, I’m just as old as he was before passing away. So, this is going to be for my first best friend…

Now, obviously I don’t remember a ton from when I was younger but from what I do remember, I was mostly with Kodak (also known as Kody). I think I had scraped my knee on the pavement once(which at that age felt like my knee had traveled through the fires of hell), and as expected, I got up and began to ball my eyes out, then Kody came to me licking the tears off my face, making me laugh. Then putting his head on my lap, he made me focus on nothing else but the warm, ginormous ball of fluff in front of me.

I don’t think I’ll ever forget moments like those. There is a few I can think of, but this is just one. I have to admit, it’s hard losing a pet. A heck of a lot more painful then most people probably think it is. But, there definitely are ways to deal with it.

Take it from senior Daniela Arias 23′, “I think it’s probably one of the hardest things to experience. Prior to losing my dog, Sasha, I had never really experienced a loss like that (human or pet), so it was a huge shock for me. I think it really helps but also hurts to reminisce about the fun, cute moments like when they were puppies or when they were doing something mischievous. My advice is to simply allow yourself to grieve and feel all those emotions that come with loss. It’s ok to cry and let it all out.”

As for my won piece of advice,

Try not to put a time limit on things, theres no one way train to grief.  Everyone experiences a loss at some point in their life—it’s inevitable. But learning to cope healthily and being grateful for the time with your beloved fur baby will help with grief greatly. Our first pets hold a great deal of love in our hearts, so lets also be mindful to not be quick to forget them.