Ayla

Today marks the day the first dog I felt a huge connection to passed away, It was after month of battling with cancer, chatting with vets what was going to be the best course of action would be. I feel like I will never forgive myself that I wasn’t there for her in her last day. I am so thankful for all the lessons this girl taught me in her life.

It all started when I was in Middle School, my grandparents Older lab was getting up there in age so they decided to go get another Chocolate Lab. In comes Ayla, my grandparents were so excited about her that they picked me up from my parents house (just a mile down the road) and showed her off. I still remember her bounding down the hallway, her velvety ears bouncing right into my arms. It was right before school let out so my grandparents gave me a summer “job” to take care of the puppy. Ayla was so eager to learn all the stuff and things! It was the first puppy I really trained obedience on all on my own, I remember being so proud to show everything she was learning off to my grandparents!

As we both grew up our bond just grew stronger. She became my partner in crime, I would go over to my grandparents multiple times a week just to hang out with her, she became my hiking buddy as I started driving. Once I turned 18 I actually moved out of my parents home in with my grandparents. I always had a super close bond with them so it just felt right. I got to see my muffin every day! I was so beyond happy, we got to train hike and hang out whenever she wanted. Ayla got to sleep with me at night, and to me there’s just something that really strengthens a bond when you start sleeping together. She got to travel all over the state with me, exploring all the state parks.

She was also my puppy raiser! She helped me form Aston into the crazy dog she is today, she taught her how to be fast and drive hard into the field. She never let Aston win for a toy, up until December 2019 she was still as powerful as she was at 4. We did so many hikes together the three of us, and I will Cherish those memories for the rest of my life.