Kahlua has been part of our family since 2010. I still remember picking her out as a puppy — the one with the little spot on her head. She was curious, gentle, and full of life even then. She’s the last of her litter, and she’s been the light of our home for fifteen beautiful years.

Kahlua isn’t “just a dog.” She’s family — our fur sister, the baby of the family, and one of the purest souls I’ve ever known. She’s been with us through everything: heartbreaks, moves, growing up, healing, and learning to love life again.

She has always been so closely bonded to my mom. My dad says she follows my mom everywhere, and if she can’t see her, she yips and howls until she’s back in sight. You can feel her love in that sound — it’s devotion. But my mom is struggling. She’s heartbroken and carrying so much grief. My dad is doing his best, lifting Kahlua up and down the stairs because her arthritis is so bad now. She doesn’t chase squirrels anymore. She needs a wagon to go out to the garden she used to race through.

Even in her old age, she still has that spark in her eyes — that puppy curiosity, that love for life. When she looks at you, it’s like she sees straight into your soul. She’s comforted me through some of the hardest moments of my life. I’ve cried beside her more times than I can count, and every time, she’s licked the tears off my cheeks as if to say, “I understand.”

Her favorite treat is a bedtime carrot — every night, without fail. If you forgot, she’d sit and stare until you remembered. It’s one of those little rituals that made our house feel like home.

I live in Burnaby, BC, and my family — and Kahlua — are in Saskatchewan. I haven’t seen her in over a year, and my heart knows this might be the last chance I have to sit beside her, to hold her paw, to whisper thank you for every year of love she’s given us.

Flights are expensive, and money is tight. But time with Kahlua is priceless. You can always make more money, but you can never buy back moments like this.

If you’ve ever loved an animal so deeply that they became part of your soul, you’ll understand why this means everything to me. Any amount helps — even the smallest contribution or a simple share.

If you’d like to e-transfer instead, you can DM me.

Thank you for helping me make it home to be with Kahlua before she crosses the Rainbow Bridge — to hold her one more time, to tell her she’s the best girl in the whole world, and to let her feel how loved she truly is.