Duke

Duke found us at a shelter in 2015, already a year old, already set in his ways. He never learned not to steal food off the counter. He'd wake me up at 5am on weekends even when I didn't have to be anywhere. He hated the vet, hated baths, and somehow loved the sprinkler. Every walk ended at the same oak tree two blocks over, where he had to sniff the base for a full two minutes no matter the weather. We thought we had more time. The vet said his kidneys had been failing quietly for a while. We let him go on a Tuesday, and I haven't been able to sleep past 5am since, out of habit I think, or maybe just hoping.