April 29, 2008 — It is with such a heavy heart I share our family’s sad news that we had to say good-bye to our dear Mocha (11+ years) this morning. Our emotions are so raw yet, however, I wanted to let family and friends know about her passing. Those who know us, know that Mocha brought more joy than any pet owner can imagine.

Since December 2006 when we lost Mocha’s sister, Kona, we made sure Mocha didn’t feel the loss as we certainly did. Mocha became our priority in many ways. She loved her walks and in no time, she trained both Chris and me that she had to have two a day! So in the mornings, it was Mocha and me; in the evenings the three of us took to the neighborhood streets. People always commented because she was so well behaved; she didn’t need to have a leash. We always received comments of praise for such a good little dog! And she loved sitting out in the front yard just for the glimpse of the neighborhood cats and squirrels.

The photo below is the last family picture we took on April 24th, Ryan’s 17th birthday. My sister Cindy and her family, husband, Paul and two daughters Courtney and Sara, came to celebrate. We knew Mocha was sick, but still had great hopes we would find a cure for the internal bleed she was suffering from.

On April 25th, we asked Allison to come home to spend what would be her last time with dear Mocha. Needless to say, it was very sad for her to say good-bye as she returned to school.

As many of you pet owners experience yourselves, though our pets can’t talk to us, we give them a voice and we can even read their minds! We know the subtleties of their expressions, their behaviors and we know they actually do smile when they’re happy!

Chris and I talk about how painful it is to lose a beloved pet. (This is our 4th dog we shared together). However, we loved Mocha fully and we know she loved us back. We have no regrets.

The tears are far from over for our family. And as difficult as it is for us right now, we embrace the immense sadness we feel because we also know it goes hand in hand with the great joy she has provided us over the years. Dear Mocha… we will miss you so much. You will always be loved and remembered by each of us.