You never expect it when you choose your puppy or kitten from the litter, or adopt your pet, but it’s inevitable – our four-legged friends always quickly become such an important part of your family. We take care and give them love, just as much as they take care and give us love an affection back. They snuggle by our side, aimlessly follow us all around the house, and give us sloppy kisses until we can’t take it any more. But, after years of so many great memories and fun, we are usually the ones to have to say goodbye to our four-legged friends and it’s never an easy process.
When this family found out that they’d have to say goodbye to their beloved dog Duke as a result of a tumor, they made sure to make the dog’s last day special. The dog’s final day was full of Duke’s favorite things: friends, family, hamburgers, car rides, and even fun in the park. And, it was all documented by photographer Robyn Arouty, who shared the story on her blog, which is currently experiencing some technical difficulties due to the high volume of traffic coming to see Duke’s story. Well, below are all of the original photos and words. The words are especially touching, as they were written as if coming from Duke the dog’s perspective. Enjoy the beautiful story.
I Died Today by Duke Roberts
“And I ate a lot of hamburgers. We had a party.”
Robyn Arouty
“And I laughed.”
Robyn Arouty
“And I thought about how much I’m going to miss it here.”
Robyn Arouty
“We told jokes.”
Robyn Arouty
“We were serious.”
Robyn Arouty
“My friends from next door came to see me. They’re twins. When someone offered them one of my hamburgers, one said, ‘No thank you. I don’t want to take any from Dukey.'”
Robyn Arouty
“Kristen came to see me. She’s a hoot. She’s my groomer. And my buddy.”
Robyn Arouty
“While we were waiting for the vet to come, Kristen said we were going for a walk. Then someone said, ‘How about a play in the water at the splash park down the street?’ So off we went!”
Robyn Arouty
“You know I’m going to miss you, right?”
Robyn Arouty
“And you too, right?”
Robyn Arouty
“I need you to help me watch over my family.”
Robyn Arouty
“Did you hear me? This is all I want!”
Robyn Arouty
“We got wet today.”
Robyn Arouty
“We smiled today.”
Robyn Arouty
“We felt grateful today.”
Robyn Arouty
“We broke the rules today.”
Robyn Arouty
“I listened to the kids play off in the distance. And thought about my two babies at home. I loved protecting them.”
Robyn Arouty
“I relaxed today.”
Robyn Arouty
“I felt no pain. Even though the tumor grew so big.”
Robyn Arouty
“I felt the love today.”
Robyn Arouty
“I said goodbye to my beautiful friend Kira. She ‘saw’ me standing over everybody before the doctor said it was time. I was excited & jumping & happy.”
Robyn Arouty
“Well, I didn’t say goodbye. I said ’til we meet again.”
Robyn Arouty
“God, I was lucky. Our time was short. But you both gave me a second chance & we lived it up together. You love when I look at you. I’ll never stop.”
Robyn Arouty
“Always, Dukey.”
Robyn Arouty
(via BuzzFeed)
Now that you got through the tough part, watch the Dukey’s adoption video from three years ago to put a smile on your face:
A special story for a very special dog!
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