Saying goodbye to Maddie was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do—and I’ve done a lot of hard things. But this? This tops the list. For 15 years, she was my best friend, my shadow, my heart.

We always said we wouldn’t get another dog after Maddie—but then came Bluey. From the moment he arrived, he and Maddie shared an unspoken bond, as if they’d known each other forever.