'No matter how little money and how few possessions you own, having a dog makes you rich.' - Louis Sabin
Henry’s gotcha day was yesterday! Eight years. Eight whole years with my sweet Henry, which somehow feels impossible and also like he’s always been part of my life. We celebrated with a new toy, opening his Advent calendar, a car ride to the pet store to pick out another toy, and then to finish off his special evening, a trip to Bruster's, his favorite, for some ice cream.
I love chronicling Henry’s life with these posts. I know I’ll look back on them years from now and be so grateful I wrote everything down, even if it’s a little all over the place. I tear up when I read the first blog post, 'Meet Henry'. It was before Mac had passed away, before I bought a house, before I was engaged, before the pandemic, before I got married, before my sister got married. Henry has been there for it all.
If you’ve been here for a while, you might remember this story, but I want to retell it.
When Henry was adopted, I was actually away at a wedding on Martha’s Vineyard, which meant my boyfriend (now husband) had to go pick him up. We had only been dating for a year, and it wasn't a 'let's get a dog as a couple' thing. I was so sad to miss his actual gotcha day. Tracy’s Dogs, now called Tracy's Paws, the rescue organization I adopted Henry from, live streams all of their gotcha days on Facebook, and I remember standing at the wedding during cocktail hour, watching the live stream on my phone. All of a sudden, my husband appeared on screen… and then he was handed Henry. I immediately teared up.
I always joke with my friends who were getting married that weekend that I will never forget their anniversary, because it's also Henry's Gotcha Day. So, a big happy anniversary shoutout to my wonderful friends, A+W! I love you guys!
That entire weekend, my husband sent me so many photos and videos, and I am so thankful for them because we both look back on them so fondly. I was obsessively checking my phone, replaying them over and over, counting down the hours until I could finally get home to meet him. I’ll truly never forget that weekend. The anticipation, the videos, and then being picked up from the airport, and finally seeing Henry in person for the first time.
Fast-forward to now, and Henry has been with me for eight years. Last year, we did a dog DNA age test and learned that he’s likely around ten years old now, which was in line with the estimate from Tracy's Paws and our vet. Ten years old is no surprise to me, but it stops me in my tracks a bit. He doesn’t feel ten to me. He still follows me everywhere, still insists on his walks, still needs to be touching me at all times, and he destroys a toy in mere seconds. But there is definitely a calmness to him now. A confidence that only comes with time.
It’s funny to think back to how timid and unsure he was at first, because now he’s so settled and secure. He knows his people. He knows his routine. He knows he belongs. He knows he is loved. He’s still the ultimate velcro dog, always at my side, always curled up against me, always keeping tabs on where I am. My husband jokingly and lovingly refers to Henry and me as the 'goofy pair'. And honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I say this every year, and I know it’s cheesy, but Henry truly makes every single day better solely because he is in it. I love him so much, I can't even write this blog post without tearing up. In fact, words fail me when I try to describe how much I love him and how much he means to me. So I'll just leave it at that.
Happy gotcha day to my Henry. I’m so darn grateful for every year, every memory, and every ordinary day we’ve shared. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to have you! Here's to many more.
In honor of Henry's gotcha day, I have donated to Tracy's Paws. Please consider an animal organization the next time you choose to donate. Here are some local to Pittsburgh. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Local Pittsburgh Pet Non-Profits:
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