A neighbor told me I would forget Peppa once I got a new dog. I am not trying to forget her. After a fostering experience that did not pan out, we have decided to stay dog free for now and that feels right.

Missing my dog Peppa and thinking about the kind of presence only a dog can bring to a home.

I miss my dog Peppa. Dogs have a way of becoming part of your daily routine and your whole sense of home. When they are gone, you feel that space every single day.

Not every foster experience leads to a bond, but every now and then a dog comes along that feels like it was always meant to be yours. Peppa was that dog for us.

Scrolling through old photos and landing on Peppa’s face is a gift and a wound at the same time. This is what pet loss really feels like in your hands, your arms, and your whole body.

Grief doesn’t strike just once and leave. For six months, the loss of my dog has hit me over and over, fresh and devastating every time. Here is what those grief waves feel like, why they happen, and why loving her enough to witness her cremation was something I would do again and again.

Six months later, the grief still hits me like I’m learning it for the first time.