For those of you who don’t consider pets part of the family you might as well stop reading now.

Ben and I had always wanted a dog and when we moved to Los Angeles we finally had the chance. We made sure to rent a place that was large enough, and with a yard, and that allowed pets. We knew we could never buy a dog, I was brought up with rescue dogs (we always had at least two, sometimes as many as four) and they were always the quirkiest and sweetest mutts imaginable.

We adopted Rita in early August of 2006 and she was quite the feisty pup. A rescue dog multiple times over, she was up in years (about 6 or 7 when we got her) so she wasn’t a dog that anyone else wanted. But she was sweet and adorable (in an unidentifiable mutt type of a way) and we loved her immediately. From the day we adopted her she became an important part of our family, traveling with us every time we hit the road, and taking up most of our conversations with friends and family.

Last night she had a terrible accident and didn’t make it. Ben took her to the emergency vet, but it was too late and there was nothing they could do. We are so so heartbroken. While she wasn’t young she had so many years left in her and since it was so sudden and unexpected, it was especially hard to handle. If you’re not a pet person this whole thing may seem a little over exaggerated, but if you’ve ever loved a pet as a part of your family, I hope you’ll understand how much pain this has caused us.

At this Christmas time it’s just another reminder to me, to love your friends and family fiercely, and to tell them every day how much they mean to you. Savoring every moment is the only way to live life. We will miss our little Rita dearly!