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If it wasn’t for Bailey and Cleo, the two dogs we rescued from the South of Italy, I would be dead. It’s that simple.

 

Before dying, Laura made me promise one thing: Can you promise me that you’ll take care of our girls?

 

I promised. Laura was very smart… and when the time came—the time where the only thing I wanted to do was to kill myself—I couldn’t do it. I had made a promise to the love of my life. And even if I hadn’t, I simply couldn’t have done that to the dogs.

 

What the dogs did for us when Laura got sick in 2019 and beyond is not even possible to describe, but I will at least try. They made us laugh every single day. It didn’t matter how much shit life threw at us, or how bad we were feeling for whatever reason… they would always make us laugh and feel better. There’s nothing more profound and joyful than looking into your dog’s eyes, seeing their tails wagging, and knowing that no matter what, they will always love you. They will love you from the moment you enter their lives, to the moment they die. You are their entire world, for the whole duration of their lives.

 

And so they pay you back by making you genuinely happy. Making you feel good when you already feel good, and making you feel better when you feel like crap.

 

When Laura got sick again three years ago, we had a couple of days where emotionally we were an absolute disaster… and the dogs felt that. They both showed big signs of stress. So at that point, we decided we had to be strong for them. We’d be there for each other—for our little family.

 

Unfortunately, the dogs weren’t there when Laura died. It all happened too fast. But the day after, I took them to see her body. I’m not religious, but I consider myself very spiritual. I do believe that it was only Laura’s body at that stage, and that her energy, her kindness, her love, were now somewhere else. Maybe in my heart?

 

The dogs loved Laura… but that morning, they only briefly acknowledged her body… and then did their thing. Somehow, they knew it was just her body. That gave me a lot of strength.

 

I talk about dogs because that’s what I have—but I’m sure that a cat (some may disagree, in a funny way) would be just as good.

 

What I know for sure is that throughout my grieving process, the dogs have helped me a lot. And as I already mentioned—I know I wouldn’t be here writing this if it wasn’t for them.

 

If you’re suffering and don’t have a pet, consider volunteering at your local shelter. They always need help—even just walking the dogs, feeding the cats, cleaning around, doing small things. Being around animals is healing and magical.

 

Thank you, my love. Thank you, Bailey. Thank you, Cleo. You are my everything.