Hi, this is Jade. My dog Dakota was my best friend for 16 years. I recently had to say goodbye after an unexpected emergency and I am raising funds to help with the vet bill from his final night.

Dakota was the best little guy I could have imagined finding. He was my miracle dog. Dakota had parvo when I got him — those first few weeks were a lot of work for us both, but they created a bond with him I didn’t know was possible.

When I turned 16, we had a birthday party together to celebrate him turning 1. His birthday being 2 days before mine always felt so special to me. It feels full circle that this year I got to celebrate him turning 16.

He definitely became an old man the last few years. He no longer used stairs or enjoyed chasing his toys. But he was always excited when my mom or I came home. Dakota still loved car rides, and nothing could stop him from waiting to see if something good would drop when someone was cooking in the kitchen.

I cannot count the number of emotional cry sessions he comforted me through, or the minutes I spent in the oddest positions because he fell asleep and looked too comfy to move.

Dakota had a seizure in January, then again in July. Both were short, and he recovered back to his normal self. The vet ran tests after each seizure, and all of his labs came back similar to his previous yearly checkup results.

Late on October 28th, I stayed up 45 minutes or so later than planned because Dakota wanted to lay in my arms. The house was quiet, and I just spent time petting him while he rested his head in the bend of my arm. Everything felt normal — he felt happy.

About two hours later, Dakota jolted awake and out of his bed. He wasn’t acting himself. He started seizing, but after one stopped, another started. The medicine my vet gave me for this type of situation didn’t help — the seizures kept happening. I found an emergency vet, and my mom and I hurried there.

During the drive, I looked at him and knew that these seizures were different from the last ones. Dakota wouldn’t be the same after this night, and I didn’t want him to live a painful life trying. As hard and heartbreaking as it was, I knew it was time to say goodbye.

Thank you for caring about Dakota’s story. Any help with this financial burden is very appreciated. If you have any favorite memories or pictures of him, I’d love for those to be shared with me.