Toby

Bio

Toby was born on December 6, 2007, and he came into my life about 4 months later. He was a wedding gift from my sister who knew I had a serious passion for dogs, despite never having one of my own. Toby was not necessarily what I had envisioned for the first week of my first marriage, but he soon became the center of my life.

I am not sure how much you know about the Lhasa Apso breed, but they are not recommended for first-time dog owners, which I was at the time. The Lhasa dog is known to be difficult to train, highly temperamental, sassy and stubborn too. Yet, they are also quite affectionate and loyal, but very much alpha-built –– they are pack leaders. Toby didn’t lack in any of those qualities and in a few short months, my brand-new marriage and then brand-new husband took the backseat, while Toby took the driver’s one.

As a dog owner devoted to their fur-baby, I didn’t fall short in my care and affection for my sweet boy. He enjoyed special foods, treats, toys, dog park visits, cross-country road trips. He always slept next to me, often with his head on top of mine. He was my first child.

Toby was my constant source of emotional support and affection. We spent the most amazingly loving 16.5 years together.  He held my soul in a safe place for all those years, through joy and misery, through birth and death, through some of the darkest days of my life.

My loving boy transitioned on January 14, 2025 after a two-year progressive battle with some form of neurological disorder – likely canine cognitive dysfunction. I miss him painfully, but I remain forever grateful that he chose me to be his mom.