People's love for their pets

It is looking like our family dog Joey may have to be put down tomorrow. She seems like she is in pain and she can't get up from her bed. It is at these times that you realize just how much you love this animal. It is like they are a person and a part of your family. You show them love all the time and take care of their every need. Since she has gotten older she has been sleeping in the house and she has a bed in almost every room for her to lounge in and sleep. She even loves to use a pillow like a human being. She has begun to love having "her babies" stuffed animals, mostly little hedgehogs that have squeekers. Anyway you realize how sad you will feel when you are sitting on the couch and you look over and her bed is gone and you go out into the back yard and call her name and she doesn't come running. And maybe you find one of her babies and squeek it but she never comes to find you. She has been there everyday loving us and protecting us and being our companion since the summer I was starting 10th grade. That is 12 years of my life where she has been a constant. She is a one-eyed, vocal cord lacking red Queensland healer who has developed some white hairs like any gray-haired old lady and she will be missed. Though it is not official yet my heart is still hurting for her and our family.