Some bonds are built in a single moment. Others are built slowly, morning after morning, one wag of a tail at a time. I learned from Leo that love is unconditional, and grief is to be carried silently, alone, away from home. This is his story, and mine.
My name is Jyo, and I have always loved pets, especially the Shih Tzu breed. I've been wanting to bring one to home for years. I kept asking my family many times but they all refused to agree.
Then on my birthday I asked the question again. Again they said 'no' but with a condition If I passed all my subjects with good marks, they would get me a dog.
I'm the kind of student who studies the night before an exam and just manages to pass. But this time, that wouldn't be enough. I worked hard, harder than I ever had, and in the end, I passed with good marks.
That is how Leo came into our lives. My sister and I brought him home, both of us overjoyed.
Leo was my constant companion. Every morning when I woke up, he followed me around the house. When I left for college, he waited by the door. And when I came back, he would be there waiting, ready to follow me around all over again. It was easy and it was joyful.
I once brought Leo along with my family to the city. He was initially quiet and somewhat scared in the new home. But soon he settled in, playing, running, barking, getting close to the children there. One night, he suddenly went missing. I walked around the house, I shouted his name, but he didn't respond. Then I found him quietly sitting near the washroom. That was the moment when I felt fear but it became pure relief.
Every day I took care of him completely, his baths, his food, cleaning him up, and sleeping next to him every night. He was in every sense my best friend.
Some days later, I went on a holiday, but this time I had to travel alone. I would call him daily on the video call and see him. Then, for two days, there were no calls, no updates. I asked my family what's going on with him and they said he had a fever and they took him to the hospital.
I later learned he had hurt his leg. After treatment, they put a bandage on it, but he kept growing weaker, so they took him back to the hospital. The doctors then told my family that Leo had some health issues from birth, and the bandage may have caused some complications. However, at the time they reported him to be stable.
The next day, he passed away.
I did not know. I was miles away and alone in another city. It was only that night I discovered.The grief just hit me all at once, no warning, nothing gradual about it. Many days passed for me before I recovered from that sadness, before I found my way back after losing my best friend, my constant companion.
What I learned:
- Love is in the small moments of everyday life. It was never about the big things, it was about being by the door, it was about going for those morning walks, it was about the quiet companionship.
- A pet is not a pet anymore, it's family. The relationship formed through the care, feeding, bathing and sleeping next to them is more than can be expressed in words.
- Health issues can hide beneath the surface. A problem that Leo had from birth that no one knew about. Even if they appear healthy, it's important to have regular check-ups with your veterinarian.
- Grief is its own kind of pain, when it comes from a distance. Not being there in his final days made the loss harder to process. If possible, being present matters, for them and for you.
- Love never ends with losing. Now, even as I remember Leo, I carry with me the joy he brought and not the sadness of his absence.
Thinking of getting a Shih Tzu? Read our full puppy care guide on Zaanvar before you bring one home.
