Anyone who has ever had a dog knows the depth of heartbreak when they are gone. One moment they are right by your side, the next, your life feels completely turned upside down.
Your cherished furry companion is no longer there. You wish they could be, but that is impossible. Healing from that loss is incredibly difficult, as anyone who has experienced it knows all too well.
Erin Yarbrough, a law student from California, faced this painful reality when she lost her best friend, Sonny, in an accident.
The grief seemed insurmountable. Erin thought she might never move past the loss of her loyal companion. Yet, something happened that would unexpectedly transform her life.
Meet Sid
Sonny had meant everything to Erin, bringing light and joy to her life in ways words cannot fully describe. Losing him left an enormous void that seemed impossible to fill.
She told Best Friend Animal Society: “He was such a special light in a world that is often quite dark. I often say he was my emotional support animal. That’s a simple term, but he was really everything to me. He was my waking up. He was my going to bed.”
Even amid the pain, Erin felt a calling to help other dogs in need. She knew that Sonny would have wanted her to extend the same love and care he had given her to pups searching for homes.
She continues by saying: “So many times he would get me out of bed when I was too depressed to move. He would, you know, lick away my tears. And he would bring me so much joy and comfort. I think he was telling me that I need to give what he gave to me.”
Motivated by this feeling, Erin searched the area for dogs needing foster care and discovered Sid at the Best Friends Lifesaving Center in California. The profile described him as a very large dog urgently needing a foster home.
Sid’s Confident Personality Wins Erin Over
Seeing an opportunity to help a dog in need, Erin and her boyfriend went to pick up Sid. At first, she felt pangs of guilt, fearing she might somehow be replacing Sonny.
However, she quickly realized that her goal was not replacement, but giving a pup a loving chance at life. That was what mattered most.
She said: “He is very confident, not timid at all. He went into the kitchen, then came back out. He looked at me, wagged his tail, and then went around the couch sniffing. He was like, can I get on the couch? I said yes, you can get on the couch.”
Sid immediately made himself at home, showing no shyness and asserting his presence in the new environment.
Erin provided him with toys, treats, and lots of attention. Sid delighted in this new care, and his joy was evident in every wag of his tail.
She noticed how Sid snored as he slept and decided to rename him Spud. Even while still mourning Sonny, Erin found comfort and solace in Spud’s playful and loving presence.
Whenever her sadness threatened to overwhelm her, Spud offered a gentle distraction. Erin said: “He’ll suddenly interrupt me if I’m crying and bring over this big rope (toy). And then he waddles away and brings back something else.”
Although Erin’s grief will not disappear overnight, having Spud in her life has provided warmth, companionship, and healing. He is an incredibly sweet, empathetic dog who has given her comfort while waiting for a forever home of his own.