These pictures were taken on the day I picked up my first foster from the rescue. Their recommendation was to crate train him for the first couple of weeks, but one night he came scratching at my door after my roommates had let and left him out. After opening the door, he jumped into my bed and by morning had claimed more than half of it for himself. It was around that time it became clear to me that I would be the one adopting him, and so Decker has been my best buddy and constant companion for the past six and a half years. I'm heartbroken to announce that yesterday I had to say goodbye.

It's easy for me to claim that he was something special, but he was also a favorite among friends, coworkers, and even employees at the vet. On walks his smile was contagious, and he approached many strangers with the confident expectation that, of course, they would like to pet him. He welcomed interruptions to his frequent naps at the office with at least a wag of his tail, but best of all was his hilariously uncontainable excitement around kids. It was very hard to see his health rapidly decline over the past couple of months, but even at the end he still gave a warm welcome to the vet at the door.

Foster-failing Decker is among the best decisions I've ever made, and I will miss him every day. I expect that sometime in the future I will be ready to provide a loving home to another older dog, and I urge anyone looking for a dog to consider those that are often overlooked.

In celebration of Decker's memory and in support of the organization that brought us together, I'll be making a donation (in the amount of an adoption fee) to Dogs XL Rescue. Please join me in making a contribution.