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It was 1999 (I think). I had just graduated from middle school, getting ready to start my first year of high school. It was that summer, when my brother and I made our yearly pilgrimage to the northeast corner of Florida, when I met Sassy. Just for a little background – my dad is a dog lover, tried and true. I can remember occasions driving through Jacksonville with him when we were much younger (Ace of Base and Big Mountain’s “Baby I Love You Way” jamming on the radio) where he would spot stray or neglected dogs chained up in their front yard and his heart would break. He had a heart for animals, and to this day will tell anyone that, “Dogs are better than most humans.” In a lot of ways – he’s right..

The companionship and unconditional love that a dog can express is simply powerful. When I met Sassy over 11 years ago, I knew she was special and we formed a bond immediately. That first summer, and many hot summers after, we spent evenings on the couch playing video games, watching TV and raising hell in the backyard inflatable swimming pool. She was a shy, sweet, loving little food scrounger who would be at the door waiting for my dad, myself or my brother every time we came back to the house.

She was a rescue, and just a puppy when my dad found her roaming the streets of Jacksonville all those years ago. I had the opportunity to grow with her over the years.

Here we are back in the summer 2000, back when we were both just puppies. She’s wearing my nerd glasses and playing Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 with me (notice the cheat guide)

Here’s another shot with her from that same summer with Buster and Fancy (all who have since passed). All three were vying for that BBQ Chicken Breast (Sassy probably got it, she was the favorite).

Over the years, we both grew. We matured, grew fatter, grew a few grey hairs, and ultimately got into relationships (her with me, and me with my girlfriend – now wife Amanda). When I started dating Amanda in 2004, my Dad immediately expressed to me just how jealous Sassy had become of the new girl in my life. I can recount many phone calls, where my dad (talking as Sassy) would ream me out for finding another woman and promised the day when she met Amanda, that she would “tear that b*tch up.” The threats and animosity were all confirmed, when Amanda and I made a summer roadtrip to Jacksonville in the summer of 2007. Upon walking in the house that first day and the subsequent days after, Sassy growled, rejected and flat out did not like Amanda.

Here’s a shot of her, just hours after meeting Amanda for the first time. My dad had to sit between the two of them. The look on her face speaks for itself, almost saying “She had better not even LOOK over here.”

Here’s a few more shots of her and I from that summer.

Fast forward to 2008. Having recently graduated from college, my brother, myself and his then-girlfriend made a summer trip to Jacksonville to visit my dad again. Sassy was just as excited to see me, and we spent another few days hanging out. From what I remember, she didn’t like Jenny (brother’s then girlfriend) too much either. Living in a male household, she grew to resent other females moving in on her “turf.” Here’s a few shots from that trip..

Then, less than a year later in March 2009 I got to see her again. I had just got a job in Houston, TX and stopped off for a few days in Jacksonville to spend time with my Dad (mostly Sassy) before I started real life as an adult. Here’s a few snaps of her from that trip, begging for food, and ultimately getting what she wants straight from my dad’s hand. Here’s an old video I took of her during that trip as well.

These last few weeks, Sassy had gotten much weaker and only within the last week or so she stopped eating and going to the bathroom; it wasn’t looking good. After a few trips to the vet, some blood work and an MRI, it was determined that Sassy’s liver wasn’t functioning properly anymore, and was likely causing her pain. My dad called me with the bad news this past Thursday night, and informed me that she had been put to sleep. Understandably, he was heatbroken and emotional in a way that can only be expressed by watching this short video – Last Minutes With Oden. I’ll miss that little girl greeting me during my visits to Jacksonville, her incessant begging for food, her shy demeanor, and cut-throat attitude towards females.

Looking back, that dog and I formed a lot of memories that will stay with me the rest of my life. Since Thursday, I’ve thought about it a lot more and realized that there’s potentially a lot of memories I’m missing out on by not having a dog. Sure they’re a lot of work, they crap all over your yard, and will probably bark at squirrels and piss of my neighbors – but its worth it. I have a feeling we may be making a trip down to a local shelter within the next few days. If we end up with a female, I’ll have a hard time not naming her Sassy.

Rest in peace girl, all dogs go to heaven.