Unleashed, the Dog & Cat Store

My first love . . .

My Best Friend . . .

My Baby. 

 

My tears are falling already.

 

 

Approximately 1985 . . .

My Great Aunt Elizabeth's dog, Sassafras, had a litter of puppies that would forever change my life.  Sassafras was your typical farm dog.  She roamed the fields by my grandmother's house in Rocky Mount, NC.  She was a pure mutt and free to do as she pleased.  Apparently she had quite a few litters of puppies with who knows who.  Including the one that I got to pick my childhood puppy from.  I was about 3-4 years old when my parents took me to my grandmother's to look at puppies.  I wanted the runt of the litter as I have always favored the underdog.  Somehow, I picked an adorable little girl that would be named Brandy. 

I grew up as an only child (my siblings never lived with me) and thus, Brandy became my everything.  She was my playmate, my shoulder to cry on, my confidant, my most reliable friend.  When I moved away from my childhood friends between 2nd and 3rd grade, Brandy came with me.  As I transitioned between middle and high school, and made a smaller move between 6th and 7th grades, Brandy came with me.  No matter what happened during my entire memorable childhood, Brandy was there.  She went on vacations with us, slept on the floor beside my bed (no matter how late I slept in,) and always greeted me at the door when I came home from school.  When I was in elementary school, she (and my dad) used to walk me to school in the morning.  But, as I grew older, so did my Brandy.  I never thought she'd be around to see me off to college, but my girl, she was a trooper.  Parting with her wasn't easy, but I came home often, and she came to see me too (I was only 2 hours away.)  

Wow, my face is now completely tear-soaked, and I haven't even gotten to the saddest part. 

To keep it short, so I don't drown my laptop, I had to make the toughest decision of my life to date in January 2003.  I had to let my best friend of 18 years go to heaven.  I can't believe it's been almost 5 years, and it still hurts so much.  I truly love my Brandy, and always will.  I will never forget and never stop loving, my Brandy Belle.  -Amy, 2008