Dug passed on March 13, 2026, after 13 years and 4 months of routine, presence, and quiet companionship. We had him for 9.5 years.
🐾 For Dug
Sir Douglas of Douglassville • 13 years, 4 months of being the best boy
🕊️ a permanent exhibit — always
💛 Remembering Him
I still expect him in the rhythm of the house. That doesn't go away just because time moves forward.
I carry him in small daily moments — not in a dramatic way, but in the way continuity never fully closes.
📖 The Adventures of Dug and Squirrel: Dandelion Fields
story • Dug • memory fiction • written February 28, 2026
Dug, the delightful corgi, rides with his friend Squirrel on top of his back.
Dug: What do you want to do today, Squirrel?
Squirrel: I don't know, Dug. Surprise me!
Dug: Okie dokie, hold on tight, Squirrel!
Squirrel held onto his tiny blue hat and the handle on the back of Dug's dark blue harness.
Dug excitedly ran across streets, neighborhoods, and continued going in all sorts of directions with his tongue hanging out of the side of his mouth.
Squirrel: Where are we going, Dug?!
Dug: I don't know. I'm just running in random directions, so this will be a surprise to you and me.
Squirrel, confused yet slightly amused, held on tighter.
Dug continued zipping through suburban noise until suddenly everything softened — and they found themselves somewhere green and yellow.
A field of dandelions stretched in every direction, seeds drifting through warm wind. The sound of the breeze replaced everything else.
Dug excitedly wagged his tail, grabbed a dandelion, and turned toward Squirrel.
Before Squirrel could react, Dug sneezed — and the seeds scattered into the wind.
Dug: oopsies.
Squirrel: I hope you made a wish!
They laughed together, smelling the dandelions and lying down in the field. Then they took a long nap under the sun.
The end.
commentary
I wrote this story on February 28, 2026, weeks before Dug passed on March 13, 2026.
There is more that didn't go into the story. Dug had a lump on his back, which I named Squirrel — like the "Squirrel!" moment from Up.
In the story, Squirrel never gets off Dug's back. That detail was intentional.
The dandelions represent things that are often overlooked or dismissed, but still beautiful when you actually stop and see them.
Dug's habits are in there too — running off leash, tongue hanging out, sneezing near flowers.
This was written to keep Dug alive in memory, not just in grief.
🎉 Celebrations
birthday • October 11, 2024
12th birthday steak pawty. Twelve years of best-boy energy, celebrated the proper way: with steak.
gotcha day • November 5, 2024
Eight years since the day he chose us. (Well — he grabbed the knees and refused to leave, so "chose" is the right word.)
birthday • October 11, 2025
13th birthday. A whole baker's dozen of years of Dug.
first hike • February 2017
🥾 Dug's first hike: Catalina State Park. He was very tired on the drive home. Worth it.
holiday portraits • December 2017
🎄 Professional holiday portrait session: matching Christmas sweaters, Dug in his own little sweater, studio wood backdrop. Ten out of ten, would frame.
gotcha day • November 5, 2025
Nine-year Gotcha Day. Nine and a half years together, every single one of them worth it.
🕊️ The Legacy Continues
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