I was trying my best to hold it back in this arduous time, but it was too much. “He’s irreplaceable. He’s irreplaceable.” I could feel the waterfalls building up behind my eyes. “He’s irreplaceable. He’s irreplaceable.” The same thoughts were rushing through my mind. I leaped up and ran for the door. I burst into tears as I shouted, “Mom! Don’t go!” My mom glanced at me for a minute and then replied, “I’m going,” I wiped some tears from my face. “Mom, please!” “I’m going to go and give this little guy a home, whether you are coming or not,” Unwillingly, I slid into the car next to my mom, but didn’t move an inch or make a sound the entire way to the animal shelter.
It’s one of those hot July nights. My dad bursts through the door accompanied by my mom and that life-shattering news. Our perfect, loving dog has been hit by a car. Tears poured from everyone’s eyes. He was such a good boy, he never got into any trouble and we had only had him for four years. He was part of the family and now he was just gone, leaving holes in our hearts.
A few months pass, and there are still occasional tears. My mom continues to believe that it would help us to get a new dog. I disagree. Nobody could take his place. Eventually, I give in a little and go to visit the animal shelter with my mom. When we walk in, there is the sound of dogs barking and a strong scent of dog and cat food as well as dander. It is very heartbreaking to see all of the adorable, innocent animals and imagine the same thing happening to them. Again, I feel tears building up behind my eyes like a dam that is ready to burst at any second. We see many different dogs and the same thought goes through my head. “He’s irreplaceable. He’s irreplaceable.” They bring out one last dog for us to see. He is a smaller dog, maybe fifteen pounds. He is a mix of a dachshund and a beagle. I am sitting on the curb as my mom brings him outside. He immediately comes over and leans right up against me. I feel the warmth of his bony little body on my leg. My mom and I look at each other, thinking the same thing. Could this be our next dog? We decide to go home for at least tonight to see what my dad and brother think. It is a tender spot for all of us, and it is a big decision. By the looks of it, he is going to become our dog, but that night the same thought is there again. “He’s irreplaceable. He’s irreplaceable.”

The next morning I am thinking the same thing. As my mom is about to leave, I try to persuade her not to. She has a strong feeling about this, so I trust her instincts and get into the car with her. My mind is racing, but when we get there we see this frightened little puppy that just needs a home. His eyes steal my heart. He sits, curled up and cozy on my lap the whole way home.
He isn’t perfect from the start like our old dog. He gets into things every now and then, but we still love him. I think he is trying his best to be a good boy and will keep getting better; he just needs some practice. I was right he was irreplaceable, but that didn’t mean that we couldn’t give another a place. My heart and mind are at peace, knowing that he is in a good place.