The Best Dog

Everyone who knows me knows I love dogs. And Herky was no exception.

Herky was the dog. We adopted her when kids one and two were little, and kid three wasn’t even on the horizon. She was the sweetest, gentlest soul you can imagine—the dog our children grew up with. We were lucky enough to love her, and to be loved by her, for twelve wonderful years.

As she got older and she started to decline, I began creating this mosaic statue of her. The process became a way to sit with the grief, to remember, and to honor what she meant to our family. Today, the piece sits in what we call “plant corner,” watching over the space much the way she always did.

Embedded in the mosaic is her dog tag and her old collar now hangs around her neck. That simple collar from the pet store has become a symbol of a lifetime of walks, routines, comfort, and unconditional love.

This piece isn’t about perfection or likeness alone. It’s about memory. It’s about how love lingers, and how the simplest objects can become sacred once they’re woven into our lives.