My dear friend Chester, the puppy that no one else would even buy, RIP

by Lyrice
(USA)

My husband and I had been married about three months and just moved into our first house together. We knew we weren’t ready for children yet, but a pet was definitely welcome- a dog to be sure.

My father in law knew of my love for dogs and had an employee giving a puppy away. The runt of the litter, this black lab wasn’t going to sell as well as the others.

The first time I saw him, Chester, my black lab puppy was in a cardboard box in the basement of my in-laws house. He peered over the side of the small box and my heart immediately melted. I bent down to pick him up and told him that “We’re going to be best friends.”


I held true to my word. The next few years were full of Chester’s milestones. The excitement of learning tricks, the love of walks, moving into our new house with a big lawn.






When I had my first child I was terrified what Chester would do. The first night my son came home from the hospital, Chester slept outside his door to guard him through the night. As my family grew, Chester was the guard dog, my babies’ best friend and in my heart, my first child.

After fifteen years, my faithful companion had aged faster than I ever could and could barely climb the stairs in our house. His bowls of food stayed full longer and I knew his time was short.

The last day of his life, I could hear the sound of his labored breathing on the floor next to where I lay, and cried to myself when the breathing simply stopped. My dear friend had been a constant in my life for so many years and the loss I felt was incredible. How lucky I am to have had my life so enriched by the puppy that no one else would even buy.