Heartbroken

Posted on by Julia

February 27, 2026

After 17 wonderful years, Nox is no longer with us.

We went to the vet this morning with hope that Nox had improved.

Nox’s overnight treatment didn’t work and her kidney numbers went up. She lost weight overnight.

Nox’s quality of life had rapidly gone downhill in the last few days.

Our vet talked it over with us. She was very sympathetic, but wanted to make sure we understood that Nox’s quality of life was going to get worse.

We asked her to let us talk it over. We both knew it was time to let her go.

We took Nox outside to the grass and let her walk in the sunshine for the last time.

When we came back in, we told the vet we were going to have Nox put down.

She said we could spend as much time as we needed. I filled out the paperwork. We held and petted Nox for a long while, then let the vet know it was time.

Bruce held her while I scratched behind her ears. She left being loved on.

My heart hurts so much. Bruce is having a rough time, he felt Nox was his dog. Having lost his dad in January and now his best beloved dog is gone, Bruce is reeling.

We went for a walk along the Tennessee River and that helped some.

When we got home, he said it is so hard to believe Nox won’t be waiting for us, wagging her tail.

Last Picture of Nox

38 thoughts on “Heartbroken”

  2. I mourn with you, Julia and Bruce, the passing of such a wonderful little dog. Words fail at expressing how sad I am for you. I understand your feelings, wish there was something that could be done, and know that there isn’t. Miss Nox was how I started following you way back years ago in Golden. She popped up on your old blog and I wanted to learn more about this super fuzzy cutie. I’ve tracked her adventures ever since. 17 years is wonderful but no matter how long they live, a beloved dog’s time is always too short. There will come a time when you smile while telling tales about Nox and of course she will always be in your hearts…and ours. Take care my friends. Tom

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    1. Tom,
      Thank you for your sympathy. It is so hard right now. I asked Bruce why we do this to ourselves. He replied we get so many years of love from them.

      Nox loved the biscuits you sent her. She would gently take them from our fingers, and then
      fast walk to one of her beds to crunch the biscuits into smaller bites. It was so cute.
      I loved following your blog about Max. He was such a cutie, even though you dressed him up.

      Take care,
      Julia

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  4. I am so sorry for you all. I was thinking how hard something like this might be for Bruce. He has special prayers from us.

    Last night I dreamed of a litter of white puppies. Maybe Nox is sending a hint to heal your hearts with a new, naughty housemate. ❤️‍🩹

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  6. By far the hardest thing we ever have to do as pet parents. We give them all we can. I’m so very sorry for you both. We definitely understand the pain.

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  12. Sorry for your loss. That is hard to do but we might have to do the same with the older pug, Iago, 16. Right now, I am waiting for Mike to return from the hospital. He is okay and things are looking good but he went through a very rough patch. I believe his energy will come back as they have discovered a few things. I won’t go into detail but we are very happy things are looking up. But yes, putting down a dog is hard.

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      1. Iago, named after a Shakespearean character. Well, reality is 16 is old and his ailments are not good. We will have a visit with the vet soon but for now my priority is getting Mike back to normal as his blood count is now normal because of transfusions and his energy level is returning.

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      3. Well, they kept him up all night with tests but he is having more blood and iron put in. They are feeding very well! I just took Iago, the older pug, for a clip, groom, and nails done. He loved it!

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  13. Julia and Bruce, I felt very emotional when I read this–it is always such a difficult thing to do, even when we know it is the right thing to do. I will forever think of “Nox doing Nox things” and how much I enjoyed reading about her. It does take a long time to heal, and sometimes I think perhaps we never quite do, it just becomes less painful in its own time. Blessings to you both as you mourn the loss.

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    1. Thank you for your kind words and sympathy. This was extremely hard for us, as it is for anyone who has to have a beloved pet put down.

      I loved writing about her. She was my best beloved. I will remember her and miss her for the rest of my time.

      Seeing her things in the house hurts so bad. I found two of her toys in our bedroom and my eyes started leaking.

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  14. So very sorry to hear this. I have enjoyed seeing Nox enjoy life and your stories and photos. As a dog lover, I have felt that incredible pain. Your memories and the stories you recorded here will help but it hurts.

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    1. Thank you for your kind words. You have my sympathy for your loss of a beloved pet. I know my future self will be able to look at her pictures and the memories will be happy ones. Right now, I have a very hard time believing it will get better.

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Published by Julia

I am a retired software solutions architect. I have been married to my husband, Bruce, for over forty years. We have a 12-pound dog, Nox, who we love dearly. She has been with us since 2009. We went full-time RVing for 3.5 years and saw much of the United States. We bought a ranch house on a hill in the middle of five acres. We are working on creating our homestead. I love cooking and enjoy sharing recipes. I am also an artist and I’ll share my current projects. Reading is my favorite hobby.