Hi, I’m Bec. My family and I recently experienced something devastating. My kids were leaving for school and, quick as a lightning bolt, our sweet two year old beagle, Waffles, zoomed passed them at warp speed. He darted straight into the street and was hit by a car. It was the saddest and most helpless feeling you can imagine. I ran and put him in our car to take to the emergency vet but there was nothing we could do. He had already passed before we arrived.

This experience has been so heart wrenching and traumatizing. For real, imagine ripping out your heart, putting it in a blender, then pressing “purée.” This dog was so loved by everyone one in my family, even in the neighborhood everyone loved him. We were known as “the Waffle House” or “Waffles’ mom and dad.” Totally understandable if you have met this dog. He was love on paws. Bursting with affection, oozing with sweetness and goofiness. Seriously, I can’t oversell this dog.

We waited for years to adopt a dog. My husband and I have three young kids that keep us busy. We are also a military family and move every couple of years. It just felt like adding a dog would tip the scale and life would go from overwhelming to unmanageable. Finally, we came to the “there is no perfect time” conclusion and we adopted Waffles from a local rescue group. Our lives were never the same.

Waffles taught us so much. To love everyone and give them a chance. To enjoy the moment. To take the time to laugh and be goofy. Don’t be afraid. To close your eyes when the wind blows on a beautiful day and totally zen out. Most importantly, Waffles taught us that dogs are family. That they are irreplaceable in our lives. That having a dog is one of the most loving and rewarding relationships you can have.

The house feels empty. It’s only been a couple of weeks since Waffles passed. No paws walking on the floor, no funny “zoomies” as he runs across the floor, no heads on laps, no dog. It took us years to agree on getting a dog the first time around but, as a family, we agree that we will not wait years again. We have learned the value and importance that dogs bring to a home and we don’t want to wait.

We are going to adopt another dog. Give another dog a chance. It feels so strange and wrong that it won’t be Waffles but we are going to follow the lessons that he taught us. We won’t be afraid. We will enjoy the moment. We will love and take a chance.