Layla "Shmay"

My family had Layla from the time I was 12 until I was 22. She was the first pet I remember having and she was a very special part of me and my family’s lives. Shmay was just one of her many nicknames, but that was the one we called her the most. We got her at the humane society when she was 2 and she passed away about 10 years later. Even though it’s been almost 3 years, I still think about her often. She is the primary reason I love animals so much and believe that our pets have souls. Sometimes I still pray that her spirit will watch over me, comfort and protect me and the other pets in my life (specifically my cat and my parent’s current dog). I have a tattoo of her paw print on the back of my leg that I got on the one year anniversary of her passing in honor of her memory and to always have a part of her with me. I will always love and miss Layla. I miss our walks and outdoor adventures. She loved the dog park and loved the backyard. She would sometimes spend hours in the backyard and we sometimes had a hard time getting her to come back in the house. She definitely had a stubborn side, but that was part of her charm and adventurous personality. She loved fetching tennis balls and sometimes didn’t know when to stop. As much as she loved to play, she loved to get pets and cuddles from her family. I hope that we meet again some day on the other side, Layla!