It’s hard to believe how quickly everything happened. One day, Chooch was his usual sweet, happy self—alert, expressive, full of love. He had just taken a car ride with the best dog sitter in the world, @Ally, someone who had been part of his life for years. She was his second family, and I am forever grateful that he had her love and comfort in those final moments.
That ride was supposed to be just another day. Instead, it became the last time Chooch would leave the house.
At the emergency vet, things moved quickly. After an ultrasound, they discovered that a mass inside him had ruptured. His abdomen was filled with blood—2,504 mL to be exact—and he was bleeding internally. My heart shattered into a million pieces when I heard the words. He had seemed fine just the day before. I kept thinking, How could this happen so fast?
The vets rushed him into emergency exploratory surgery. We were all hoping for a miracle—that they could remove his spleen, stop the bleeding, and give him more time. But when they opened him up, they found cancer everywhere. It had spread across his organs, leaving no options for a full recovery.
All I could do was ask them to keep him comfortable until I could get there. I was already on the first flight out of Las Vegas, racing to get back to him in Philadelphia. Every second felt like an hour. I kept praying, Please hold on, Choochie boy. I’m coming. Please wait for me.
He tried. He really did. But the blood transfusion wasn’t enough. His body couldn’t keep up with the blood loss, and he was so tired. My sweet boy had given everything he had, but he was in pain. And ultimately, the kindest thing—the hardest thing—was to let him go.
I had to say goodbye to him over FaceTime. The thing I swore I would never let happen, happened. And that image—his face on the screen, tired but still him—will haunt me for the rest of my life. I should have been there. I should have been the last thing he saw. But life doesn’t always give us the time we think we have.
I miss you more than words can say, Chooch. I think about you every single day. You were my best friend, my constant, my comfort through everything. I still feel like I’ll see you around the corner or hear your little paws tapping across the floor. But then I remember you’re not here, and the ache comes rushing back.
You didn’t deserve to go like that. You deserved more time, more cuddles, more sun-filled days. I would give anything to change it, to take away your pain, to hold you just one more time.
But I believe, with all my heart, that we will be reunited. Somewhere beyond this world, you’re waiting for me—healthy, whole, tail wagging. And when that day comes, I’ll run to you. I’ll hold you close, and I’ll never have to let go again.
Until then, I’ll carry your memory everywhere I go. You’ll always be with me, Choochie boy. Always.
