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Submitted to the Animal Rescue Site by Suellen of Englewood, Ohio:

I found Joey’s picture online at an animal shelter site. I had just lost my dog Tanner Joe suddenly of uncertain circumstances and my heart was broken. Tanner found me when he was lost without a home and I took him in. He was only four when he died. Needing to mend my broken heart, we drove over an hour to the animal shelter where Joey was.

We took him into the “get acquainted room,” and he was full of energy and loved to give kisses. He was thought to be about six months old. I had to have him – he was [an] adorable, yellow Lab mix, [with] some shepherd in him because he had the fanned tail.

I have a chronic, sometimes debilitating illness, but even as a puppy Joey was content to snuggle next to me in bed and take care of me. He went through so many sad life events with me – divorce, losing my house, moving four times – but he was always there for me.

He loved his daddy, even after the divorce, and adored our daughter, and recently my granddaughter. We were all his. He loved to rub his forehead on us, as if to say “you are mine,” and when my daughter was young we started to show our affection to him the same way rubbing our face in his fur saying, “mine, mine, mine.” That usually made him playful, too.

He had awful allergies, and was taking five antihistamines and a steroid. The steroids made him gain weight, and as he grew older his hips grew weaker and eventually he was taking pain pills, as well. Even through this, he was always the caregiver. We loved and spoiled him every day.

I had to help him across the rainbow bridge this week, it was the hardest decision I have ever had to make. I could not let my baby boy suffer in pain though, because I know what that is like. We miss him so much – he was a gift from God and we will always love him, forever in our hearts.