Our Sweet Ruby

Ruby was only 3½ years old, she filled our home with more love and joy than I can even put into words. She didn’t just wag her tail, she wagged her whole body. She was pure happiness, pure love.

We weren’t even looking for a dog when Ruby came into our lives. She came from an abused home, and somehow she found us. From the moment we met her, we knew we had to give her the life she deserved, to show her what real love felt like. And in the end, she was the one who showed us.

We know how fortunate we’ve been to love animals, and over the past 20 years we have opened our home and hearts to many, including rescues who needed a second chance. Some we found abandoned, even on the side of the freeway, and we never hesitated to help.

Ruby was one of those souls who needed love, and we would choose her again a thousand times over. Loving animals this way is simply part of who we are, and it always will be.

Ruby wasn’t just our dog, she was a huge part of our family, especially for our two kids. They learned so much from her: how to love deeply, how to be gentle, how to show kindness and compassion. They absolutely adored her, and she adored them right back.

Everyone who met her loved her. Our neighbors, the school staff, even our grocery store clerk. Ruby touched so many hearts. She inspired friends of ours to get a dog of their own. She walked with us to school, greeted everyone like they were her best friend, and made people smile without even trying.

At home, she was everywhere, and honestly, she still is. It wasn’t uncommon for Ruby to rotate beds throughout the night, falling asleep with one child, then quietly moving to the other, and somehow always ending up between my husband and me. We woke up to her every morning, her head on my pillow, her floppy ears beside me, snoring softly.

Then one morning, everything changed.

I woke up and Ruby couldn’t move her back legs. Within an hour, I had her at one of the top veterinary hospitals in the nation, UC Davis. We were told she had a 90–95% chance of recovery with surgery. Of course, we said yes. She was only 3½ years old and still had so much life and love ahead of her. Our children were heartbroken, and we knew we had to do everything we could to try and save her.

We did everything we could.

But there were complications, and we lost her.

We are completely heartbroken. This was never supposed to happen. She was so young, so full of life, and taken from us far too soon. The loss of Ruby has left a hole in our family that words can’t fully describe.

We do have pet insurance, but unfortunately it did not cover all of the emergency and surgical expenses. We are hoping to raise $7,000 to help with the remaining costs.

Any support, no matter the amount, truly means more to us than we can express.

If you are able to donate, or even just share this page, it would mean so much to our family.

Ruby gave us a love that changed us. She showed us how to live fully, love deeply, and never take a single day for granted.

Thank you for loving her with us