Dante

2004 - 2018

There are not enough words in the English language to describe the wonder that was Dante. He loved life, and everything it had to offer him. He loved bread, hogging the couch, howling at odd hours, and most of all, he loved marshmallows. Of every treat ever offered to him, the one that always made him stomp his big paws was marshmallows.

Dante was the backbone of the family. He was the constant that you could always count on to be there. He helped take care of a variety of foster kittens that passed through our home over the years. His fluffy tail made the perfect kitten toy. Dante even remained a good sport when one of the kept kittens grew into a 20lbs giant, who loved nothing more than to rub his face in Dante’s belly fur.

Along with being known for his acts of love and kindness, Dante was also a smarty trickster. Texas A&M Vet Hospital remains confused on how he escaped his locked kennel, opened three doors and found the ER wing; all of this achieved within hours of knee surgery. The window repair company still wonders how he managed to break two windows at once. My mother still questions how he reached the pastries that were hidden on top of the fridge.

Most importantly though, Dante was my best friend. He was there for me for fourteen wonderful years. He’s who I practiced my ballet recitals for, who I took on my first car ride after getting my license, who I cheered with when I got accepted into college, who I first showed my diploma to, and who’s fur I lint rolled off my first interview clothes. With Dante there, I always felt love. You could feel the love radiate from him. My only hope is that he could feel the love that I and others had for him, too.

Dante was more than a dog; he was my family, my little brother. I miss him.