Story Project
personal stories from our APLB family

Our story project is now closed
Even though our Story Project is now closed, you can still tell your story. Please consider creating a memorial for your pet on our Pet

Mourning Dove, by Krystal Koop
I spend a lot of time staring out the window at my bird feeders which are a flurry of activity. I have my “Birds of

My best friend Watson, by MaryLouise
My best friend Watson by MaryLouise (Toronto, Canada) Watson came to us as a puppy. It was an instant connection with every member of the

My Bullett gave me 17 years of love, by Diane P.
I saw Bullett for the first time when he was just a few days old. When he got out of his box and came over

Elle: My forevermore heart dog, by Brenda Brown
So often heart dogs come into our lives as a gift from God to help us cope with the tough struggles in life. As a

Roxie’s moon, by Christine Robinson and Phil Robinson
We look forward to a full moon every month when we say, “This is Roxie’s moon” – the orange full moon we saw the evening

Memories of Sascha, 2019-2022, by Pam Ryan
It’s been over a year since Sascha left us and I still feel her spirit every day. Sascha, my beautiful gray tabby with the gorgeous

Happy trails sweet Cupcake, by Dvora Treisman
Cupcake was a little black dog with tan highlights who weighed seven kilos and who changed my life. When I came to live in Figueres,

In Memory of Trixie (Mommie): I will love you forever and a day, by Gail C.
Oh Mommie, I miss you immensely. All the happy years we shared together. You gave me devotion. You trained me to give you ultimate care.

Remy: My teacher, by Carly B.
“We have another hound available, and I’ll take some money off if you want to meet her,” was what her foster carer told me after

My KC: No limits to her potential, by Patricia A.
When I first met KC, the rescue volunteers handed her leash over to me saying that she wouldn’t go near anyone without barking or lunging

Ellie’s last flight, by Mindy Meiering
It was a frigid January morning and we were all packed up, ready to leave Colorado and fly to the Big Island of Hawaii where

Dillard’s story, by Becky Wendeln
I met Dillard in October 2012, when he was six months old. I saw his picture online and was drawn in by his curious expression

Letter to Loesje, by Kim Sluijter
Dear Loesje, We picked you and your brother up one summer morning in August from a farm in the countryside. You were running around the

Blues Clues, by Jo Cordova
Boozer, 2006-2021 Long ago in 2006 there was a chihuahua in a small desert town in California. His mom called him Boozer. He had many

Zeppelin, my soul dog, by Kristen Koehn
I met Zeppelin on August 17, 2017, after adopting him from a rescue online. I saw him and fell in love with his beautiful brown

Bernstein Bear, by Susan Perreault-Demchesen
I was living deep in Mexico with my fiancé in 1999 when I saw my Bernie Bear and fell in love with him instantly. Bernstein

Cooper: You were my world, by Jane Collier
Cooper, you were born on my birthday in 2012. Little did I know that having you would catapult my life into pure wonderfulness. You were

Cry, by Peggianne Wright
The tears on my cheeks sting and taste salty. The pain in my heart is making my stomach churn. My eyes are so red and

Little Happy Taffy, by Dave Card
This was no accident. On the side of a busy highway, an emaciated, shaking, and confused dog was seen. Luckily, a young girl was able

My soul cat Percy, by Joan Saliskas
Percy is my soul cat. Percy was loving, sweet, gentle, innocent, and unassuming. He was born in a barn in Wisconsin, and a vet tech

Chewie, by Paula Owens
My Chewie was a sweet, humble soul. Although small in stature, Chewie was mighty in spirit. He didn’t leave me with a monetary inheritance –

Kohana Bear, by Amanda S.
Kohana was always a special dog, and looking back on our time together, it feels like she was meant to be ours. I have always

Tinkles: Mrs Small, by Joe D.
Tinkles lived 19 years – one year as a stray and the rest with us. Weighing only six or seven pounds, Tinkles was ridiculously cute.

Tiberius, by Kieran H.
In July 2015, about six months after moving to a new city, a friend said she had too many cats and asked if I would

Chester, my heart dog, by Becky S.
Chester was my “heart dog.” I lost him when he was only nine years old to lymphoma. It wasn’t until he passed, and I was

My Roxy, by Alyssa M.
I brought Roxy home in April 2015. Her first “fur mom” needed to re-home her, and I volunteered to take her in. I had been

A Tribute to Vata: Our soul piece, by Bridgett Mayeux
Our best buddy, Vata Man Mayeux, a tuxedo, was found outside with his calico sister during a cold Alaskan spring. When we first saw him

My Soulmate: Howie, Howard, The How Man, by Kim Carr
April 7, 2010 – April 23, 2021 Howie came into my life in a cardboard box and now lies easy under the maple tree that

Bilbo: Forever connected, by Gael Johnson
I have had the pleasure of having many cat companions in my life, and I am currently writing a book “Cat Kismet” about each and

Rossi, by Tammy K. Fricks
Unconditional love. We all want it, and what a blessing to receive it. December 4, 2010 was the day that I met my best friend,

My darling Rex, by Anne Delargy
We’ve been together a long time, me and my boy. He’s changed so much – from the bedraggled puppy found in a car park to

To the love of my life – Simba, by Su Pat
You came to my life as a two-month-old and it was love at first sight. The bond was instant. You came at a perfect time

Sweet Deja, by Nicole Klein
Deja, Sweet Deja. You were the silliest little Yorkie bean. I loved your little quirks and idiosyncrasies. If I had to pick one to immortalize,

Sparkles was special, by Bernard Dallio
I was ALWAYS a dog person. Until one day a cat came and sat outside on our patio, then sat by the door. My wife

To my Mocha, by Michelle Cardella
My dearest, sweet Mocha, I cried tears of joy the day we said “hello.” Today, the tears fell for our “goodbye.” In between, there wasn’t

My little Henry, by D.K.
Henry and I met under circumstances that were at the same time both amazing and clichéd. I was on the floor with seven Maltese-Yorkshire terrier

Our Murphy, by Sara O. and Terry E.
Murphy was a rescue dog from Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue. He was surrendered by his previous owner when his child started walking. Murphy was

Cooper: Always in My Heart, by June Greig
My life changed overnight when I lost my sweet and loving companion, Cooper. For all the years I was training him, beginning at eight weeks

Dr. Hush Puppy and Sir Hubble Pinkerton: how two brothers changed my life, by Jo OBrien-Singer
Many years ago, my husband Marty and I were gifted with two Oriental Shorthair kittens. The first one was a striking nine-month-old Lilac Point named

Captain the Little Love Warrior, by Rachael Baxter
We always called him Captain America, but after eight years and four months we discovered he’s Captain the Little Love Warrior. My dog passed away

My beautiful boy Leo, by Wendy A.
My beautiful boy Leo was only three weeks old when I rescued him from a trash can at a bus stop on a busy street.

Celebrating our life together: Diva and me, by Anthony Villalobos
My princess Diva came into my life in 2009 unexpectedly. I arrived home from a long international trip and my partner at the time surprised

My beautiful little Sara, by Viðar Gunnarsson
Sara rushed to the door – someone was outside. Foolishly I opened the door. Sara ran out and immediately I heard growling and barking. A

Our Champ, by Beth Miller
In the spring of 2014, I saw a photo of a skinny German Shepherd named Champ on a local rescue group page, and I knew

My sweet Ziggy boy, by KC Charbonneau
My happy life came later than most people. It was not until 1998 when I met my soulmate, my husband Tom. We were so very

To my Moose, by Margaret Lee
My dearest Moose, Fourteen years ago you called out to me from your jail cell. You were alone, scared, dirty, and infected with mange. I

Charlotte, a Brazilian cat, by Vanessa Araujo
I’d always, always wanted a cat since I was a little kid. We had a dog but he wasn’t my responsibility. He wasn’t mine. In

Our (almost royal) Duke Boy, by Marcia Hastings
Duke was brought home when he was eight weeks old. He lived with our daughter at night, and he spent his days with me, his

To my darling Cy, by Crystal Faith
I remember the first day we chose each other. I walked into this little grooming building in Leesville that had a sign posted: “Kittens available”.

Winnie’s story – a.k.a. “A story about the best dog ever”, by S. Downing
In November 2004 we welcomed 12-week-old Winnie into our home, named after Winnie the Pooh because she was the colour of honey. Throughout the years

My girl Sandy, by Kenneth Lulay
July 13th, 2006 – May 6th, 2022 In 2006 I brought home an adorable eight-week-old Rat Terrier puppy, Sandy. That day was the beginning of

Nellie Gardner, by Angela Gardner
Nellie, a Pembroke Welsh Corgi, came to us as a young dog who had been unwanted, neglected, and mostly left outside. She lived with us

Smokey, My Feline Soulmate, by Donald Powers
Smokey was a Maine Coon cat who became a blessing in my life on December 6th, 2009. Smokey was a kitten tossed into a dry

Rudy, the last Schnoodle in the litter, by Karen P
Rudy was the last Schnoodle in the litter, so we were destined to be together. And it was love at first sight – but also

Princess Pecan-Pie, by Gayle and Ian Kelly
Pecan was a two-year-old timid, scrawny little dog when we adopted her from Dogs Trust in 2006. She was scared of everything, didn’t know how

My Zoe, by Lauren Alexander
I was 22 years old when my best friend’s sister sent me a text asking me if I wanted a puppy. “Sure!” I said. I

A Hudson County dog, by Kathryn Marano
Hudson was barely even a dog he was so human-like. He was so much a member of my family that when he passed, it was

Sophia, by Madilyn Sharapata
I had a 20-year-old cat named Sophia. We found out she had cancer in 2019. She had surgery, but we were told they couldn’t do

Sweet Teddy, by Rosie Alleva
Teddy came to me on May 26, 2022. He was a Siberian Husky who had lived his entire 15 years with a “loving” family until

BabyGirl: My heart and soul dog, by Susan Perreault-Demchesen
My former husband mentioned getting another dog because one of his regular customers was a breeder. I told him that I didn’t want a dog

My beautiful boy Munson, by Joyce D.
I first saw Munson in a shelter. Here was this tan and white lab/husky puppy with one blue eye and one brown eye looking so

My dearest Bailey, by Yvette Laugier
You were my soulmate. We went through so much together during the almost 17 years we had together. You were the best to come home

My girl Sophie, by Joan Saliskas
Sophie never was a lap cat or a cat who purred – until the last nine months of her life. In March 2021, Sophie unexpectedly

Luther, by Milda Titford
Luther was never our choice. We were his choice. When we decided to adopt a dog from a kill shelter we envisaged something young, healthy

In Memory of Cuqui Vera, 1996-May 2, 2017, by Luis Vera
Cuqui of my soul, my little boy, the pretty little thing. It’s been six years and I still can’t believe that you are not with

My beloved Buster, by Jim Harkins
In June 2014, I lost my beloved dog Beanie to bone cancer at the age of 13. He was my first companion dog. It took

My Howard taught me to live, by Joy Belle
I think the most heartfelt story I would have about the one I lost would be about Howard. When I had to have him put

Winston Razzle Mason, by Gabriella Mason and Bernadette Mason
Winston was the light and shining star in our lives. From stealing anything he could get his paws on, to snuggling up under the covers

Goodbye my beloved Rags, by Josh H
I love you so much Rags. I will miss you forever. You were the sweetest, kindest, gentlest, and most amazing cat possible. When I first

Aeon: Smarter than some humans, by Alyssa S
My furry soul mate, Aeon and I were meant to be together, even before she was born. When my cousin’s dog was pregnant, my psychiatrist

Gizmo’s story, by Hawke Becker
I got Gizmo in 2008 when I was 12. She was my childhood pet. Gizmo was my family, and my best friend. She was the

Lucky’s story, by Hawke Becker
My mom and I found Lucky under our neighbor’s house in insulation in 2010. When my mom pulled her out from under there she was

To my darling Polly, by Anne Marie Fristoe
I loved you for your whole life, and I’ll miss you for the rest of mine. They say grief is just love with no place

My Murphy, by Jeannie Sarlo
Once upon a time I had a very fulfilling life. I lived in a wonderful community; I had a very nice house with lots of

To my sweet Trixi, by Carmel Orr
You were born July 1, 2006, so we were together almost 17 years. I often think you chose us rather than the other way round.

In memory of my best friend, Shea the Boston terrier, by Jocelyn Taub
In May 2022 I was faced with the reality that my beloved companion Shea was dying, and the only humane choice I had was to

Chancie the Chiweenie, by Kim Gilbert
I first noticed Chance on the webpage for a local shelter. He was an adult male Chiweenie who needed a home. My two children and

Paulie: Made on a Thursday, by Christy Burbidge
“Paulie was made either on a Monday or a Friday,” our vet would joke when we brought him in for one of his many ailments

BettyLou – My bitey, cantankerous, but oh-so-loved “girlfriend”, by Susan Szczygielski
My BettyLou came to me in 2009 as a foster. She was a rather difficult pup with some significant behavioural issues. I tried working with

Sweet Chloe, by Melanie B.
What do you do when your husband tapes pictures of an adorable miniature dachshund puppy all over the kitchen … a puppy that’s just waiting

Lars’ story, by Glen Canning
Just over three years ago, three lives changed. I was arranging to adopt a young male dog from Ukraine who was disabled after being attacked.

Red, by LM
We brought Red home when he was eight weeks old, and me seven months pregnant with our first child, with the hope that we were

Sarah, by Patty Nelson
I drove through a snowstorm on my birthday on November 24, 2008, to pick up my dear pup Sarah on the day she turned eight

Jax, by Katie McCormick
Back in 2010 I was working as a waitress in a strip mall, and there was a pet store located right next to the restaurant.

Colby Jack, by MH
I met Colby Jack in the parking garage underneath my apartment. I heard him meowing and at 1 a.m. went down to say hello. He

Memories of Sommer and Mona, by Don Ernst
Growing up I wasn’t allowed to have a dog. When I started working from home I felt lonely and needed a companion. Sommer, our first

Liam: My Heart, My Soul, My Strength, by Patti Cole
In the days after you passed, someone asked how I was handling your loss. To avoid the pain a full response would cause me, I

Oscar’s Legacy, by Bradley Scott
Oscar was a West Highland White Terrier from the south of England. The smallest of his litter, with a brown strip running along his back

Memories of Taps, by Saskia Kostka
After you left us, it became a habit for me to close my eyes and imagine; to spin dreams out of the threads of memories

My beautiful little Sweetsy by Francie
My Sweetsy was a Coronet guinea pig. I purchased her and her twin sister Sissy, an American shorthair, at the El Cerrito PetCo in September

Cassie: My devotion to you By Tina Quatroni
You were born and graced to me with a numerology of 23. Psalm 23, one of the most famous Psalms, is named “The Lord is

My Nora by Morgan Harman
I saw Nora in one of the saddest Facebook videos I’d ever seen. She was in the shelter just completely shaking and looking terrified, with

I love … by Laila Zichmanis
I LOVE… how affectionate you were Ciro. Following me room-to-room so we could be close. Or to strangers in our elevator, or any store. Sitting

The Courage to Love Again by Linda Roseman Miron
It is not merely a decision or a choice to open our hearts to another pet. It is indeed an act of courage as the

DIXA BABU by Dr Kuhu Roy
We adopted Dixa Babu, a rescued stray dog, under challenging circumstances in 2021. Our association went back to 2007, when he used to sing-bark to

Wolfgang: A Life-Changing Feline Companion by Erica Messer, founder of Wolfie’s Wishes
Rescuing a kitten named Wolfgang was a turning point in my life. Little did I know that this tiny bundle of fur would become my

Julia. SWA, SCM, NW3 Elite, DDCN, EN. By Scott Duncan
Julia was born on November 15, 2009. I took her home at eight weeks old. Upon arriving home, she bonded with our other golden retriever,

Coatsy’s story by Shannon Krulish
Cahota (“Coatsy”) came into my life when he was 10 months old through a Great Pyrenees rescue I was volunteering with at the time. Initially

My Charlie: He made me laugh. By Diane Simpson
When I adopted him from the shelter Charlie was already six years old. The years were beginning to show on his graying muzzle. Charlie was

Pip, by Michael Jablonski
“The friend you’ve been waiting for has also been waiting for you. Meet each other at your local animal shelter.” The late Charles Romesburg, Professor,

Tegan’s story by Tina Blacksmith
We had 16 wonderful years with Tegan. Sixteen years of playing, walks, treats, and an immeasurable amount of love. He was a spitfire. He made