Our friends the Odaroloc Sled Dogs just sent this our way. They actually got to spend time with Cyder, the dog in the story.

It's so short and sweet, anyone who has a hole in their heart from a one-in-a-lifetime cat or dog will totally get it. Enjoy:

Man’s best friend to the end

I lost a friend recently. Fall is when I miss him the most. We saw each other daily in the summer, but interactions were always more brief than I would have liked. We spent more time together as the cottonwood leaves began to dapple in gold, the fireweed’s cottony-white puffs were carried on the winds of change and the lead-gray sky washed us both in cold rain.

It’s never easy to bid farewell to those close to us, particularly after sharing so many years and surviving some pretty harrowing experiences together. You’d never know about those difficult times from him, though. He was the quiet, stoic type, especially about his athletic feats and acts of heroism. -- read more