This is my dog Hudson. Before he joined our family, we had a yellow Labrador retriever named Sabrina (“Brina” for short). Brina was seven years old when Hudson burst on the scene as a rambunctious pup. He adored her and she tolerated him. When they walked together side-by-side, he would teasingly bump into her.

Seven years later, Brina’s arthritis had worn her down to the point where her pain just needed to stop. It was heartbreaking to let her go, Hudson wasn’t his usual self, and I couldn’t stomach the thought of going out on a walk in the neighborhood without Brina. But Hudson helped me push through the feeling of emptiness, the two of us went on that first walk together, and each walk after that got a lot bit easier.