7 months later, his previous owner decided he got too big and she needed to re-home him. I happily agreed to become that forever home until death do one of us part. Too me, he was always the right size, bark at nothing and everything kind of dog, stop and sit on the sidewalk if he wanted to meet you, expect a hug and nose kiss upon every departure and return, and yes, a great fur stool to run your toes on at the end of a very long day.

He met many along his journey and with the exception of a few unfriendly dog humans, mailmen and women, and delivery people on bikes, he brought a smile to many faces and shared a lot of love with family, friends, other dogs, cats especially and me. I always wondered if I lived up to his expectations because he went way beyond mine.

We fought hard these last couple of months after he collapsed on a walk with my brother and we later learned he had a stroke and then went into kidney failure. He seemed to handle it all in true Notee style while his humans prepared for his end of life needs and departure. We made every day special, including adding more of his favorite food items like ice cream to the mix.

We won the battle against kidney failure because his blood test on Monday showed a 33% improvement taking him back to stage 2…vets said this rarely happens but it's proof you can't give up just because the numbers suggest it's over. He could no longer walk and told me on his terms he was ready to cross that rainbow bridge, quietly and with much dignity.

Notee was more than a dog, he was my best friend, a constant companion and the calm in every storm I had these last few years. He kept my heart open and I loved him and will miss him for the rest of my days on the planet.

As I was putting a blanket on him that I had in the car, he woke up and proceeded to give me a piece of his mind, clearly annoyed that I had invaded his space on the street. He never let me forget how we met and he had me wrapped around his paw from day 2. Like Notee, Livie made a lot of friends along the way. He was not a normal cat from the beginning.

He ran the house! And was always alpha cat when it came to keeping the dog pack in order. He would greet any visitor at the door and size you up in seconds. If he liked you, he would hop up on a lap and chat you up for hours at a time and expect a treat. Notee was my heart and Livingston was my soul… I don't have to tell you this has been a really bad week.

But, I also want all of you to know how much I've appreciated the support you've given through FB, old school phone calls and texts. I've been blessed to know unconditional love because of my furkids. And as painful as it is to say goodbye, I would not change any of the last 13 years with them…only wish for more time together.