I still remember the day when I first met him. I was seven years old, and he was four. It was love at first sight for me and Rudy.

At our first meeting, he jumped into my arms as his long, furry tail wagged crazily behind him. He was the prettiest Golden Retriever that I had ever seen.

Rudy had a lot of amazing things about him — he was energetic, loving and he never met a human he didn’t like. But the thing I loved most was — how caring he was.

Most people might not think a dog can understand human emotion but he did. He knew when I was sad. He knew when I was feeling down. Even when I tried to hide it, Rudy would come over to me and just sit there. He would take his nose and nudge me to pet him because he knew it would make me feel better.

Rudy was my best friend. He was there for me whether I was happy or sad. He was always there for me.

I needed him a lot when I was younger— especially in middle school. In 7th grade, I didn’t have a lot of friends and I felt lonely a lot. People were nice to me, but I didn’t feel as if I mattered to them.

It was a pretty sucky feeling, but having Rudy by my side helped me deal with that. He was there for me every day after school. It was a tough time in my life, but he made me feel better — like I mattered to someone.

Rudy died about three weeks ago.

It’s been hard to deal with. Rudy meant the world to me, so when we had to say goodbye — well, it kind of broke my heart.

The hardest part for me was the fact that he was still moving around a little, but he was really sick. The vet said he couldn’t get better, and he would only get worse — really quickly. I could tell he was so sad, I could see it in his eyes. He could barely walk, and I could tell he was in pain.

We took him to the vet to put him down, which was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. That morning was tough. We had some time before we had to go, so my dad sang to him and played his guitar.

I knew that Rudy meant the world to him, too. It was going to be a crappy day for both of us. Struggling with people is always better than struggling alone — so please if you are struggling with something, reach out to somebody. It could make all the difference. I know it did for me.

When we got him into the car, I sat in the backseat with him, knowing that it was time, but I wasn’t ready. I wasn’t ready to deal with these feelings. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye.

I would have given anything for more time with him. More time with him is all I craved, so please if you have somebody you care about, spend time with them. You don’t know how much time you have left.

When we got to the vet we went in and they showed us to a room where we put Rudy on a little bed. It was a really tough scene. I could tell my dad was not ready to say goodbye.

We were lucky that the vet gave us some time, so we could say our final goodbyes. I didn’t really want to stay when the vet gave Rudy the shot, but I knew my dad needed somebody there to be with him.

I watched as the vet gave him the medicine, and then his head fell down. His eyes shut and he stopped moving. Everything hit me.

All I could do was just look at him. It felt wrong to pet him. I looked up at my dad — both of us in tears. I went and hugged him. We hugged for a while — both hurting but knowing that we had each other and that we did the right thing for Rudy.

I will never forget when my dad said, “Thank you, Joey. Thank you for being here with me.”

After a few minutes, we gathered ourselves and left. I still didn’t want to process it. I went blank in the car and just sat there.

When we got home, I went upstairs and played games with tears in my eyes. I wanted to numb the pain. I didn’t want to let go.

It’s still hard to let go of him and move on because he was such an important part of my life. He was my best friend for so long.

Later that night, my girlfriend came over with a little stuffed dog that looked just like Rudy. I cried right then and there. She was there for me and made me feel better. She stayed by my side until she had to go. The stuffed puppy helped a lot because it gave me something to hold — something that reminded me of who he was and what he meant to me.

It has been tough but having people in my life who care means the world to me. I share this story to help others who are struggling with loss — either somebody or something. Lean on your friends and family, and cherish your memories. I know I will never forget my little fluffy best friend. Never.