It’s been two weeks. I still feel his presence, as if he’s lying just next to me in his favourite place, sleeping again. Most mornings, it would be just the two of us here in the family room at this time. The first ones awake and up for the day. He’s done his Austin Powers business outside (longest pee ever!); I’ve made the pot of coffee, I’ve settled on the couch to watch Breakfast Television, and he’s off to snooze again. My fuzzy old Cody Bear.

We made the difficult decision and booked an end of life appointment for our little guy. He was just in such decline, sleeping all day and only waking to go to out to relieve himself. He was struggling to stand, forgetting to eat or drink unless we brought him to the food or the food to him. Blind, deaf, he’d survived cancer, but the dementia was the worst. It was so hard for him at night, just circling, panting, looking for something in the corners of the house, hiding, in such distress. It was time.

We were fortunate that his vet does in-home visits, and was able to come to our home. She was so gentle, empathetic and understanding, and she was familiar with him as she had performed a couple of his surgeries. Cody fell asleep in his favourite corner, while eating his favourite freeze dried chicken treats. We were able to cuddle him and pet him while he crossed the rainbow bridge. We had a big family hug and cry after.

We adopted Cody when he was 4. The kids wanted a dog so badly and we had resisted for the longest time. We had busy careers, Ian and I both traveled internationally for work, there just seemed no way we could care for a dog. Especially as the kids were in elementary school and starting to get into the busy extracurricular schedules.

“Mommy, the solution is to get a nanny – they can take care of the dog AND us!”

Get a nanny for the dog? Well, it turned out to be not such a bad idea. We hired a live-in, Abie, not only to watch the kids, help me with the household, but also for a dog. So with that, I started scrolling through Petfinder, applied for about half a dozen little dogs with little luck.

And then early on a Sunday morning, alone with my coffee, I saw him. This little Shih Tzu with a bad haircut, looking back at me from my phone. “Teddy” was his name. I applied for him, and then when the kids and Ian woke up I excitedly told them and wanted to show them his photo. Ironically, because I had applied, his photo was taken off the app. It turns out that Tiny Paws Rescue reviewed each application as it came in – the best thing for us. Our chances were great, and when we finally got him, he came running into the house in his cute varsity jacket to play hide-and-seek, our hearts just melted. He was everyone’s constant companion.

Well, except other dogs, he was the Joe Pesci of our neighbourhood, tough little guy with a huge bark.

Cody was with us for almost 13 years – they were such great years. He was the absolute best, the hole in my heart will be here for a long while.