Alfie

Fifteen years ago I got the best present I will ever get. The friendliest, most gentle, good natured dog imaginable. I doubt there's another dog like him out there, and not just because he was some mysterious combination of breeds with tiny legs and a giant body and fur that randomly changed length and colour. An animal's life doesn't mean much to most people, but then he was a better person than most people. He wasn't capable of being anything but kind, and he loved everyone and everything - including the baby guinea pigs he helped nurse and the brain damaged kitten who could easily intimidate him. He snored, he did appalling farts, he was too fat and he wasn't very clever - but what he lacked in actual intelligence he made up for in emotional intelligence; he always knew when you needed looking after. When I was a kid I worshiped him. He made my childhood a joy and he made our home a home.
Even though fifteen years is far too short, and even though this feels unbearable, I still feel lucky to have called him our dog; our Alfie.