Spirited Canines: My Tribute & Spirit's Legacy

08.07.2025 The vision behind Spirited Canines.

              These days, I can’t stop crying. For the past few weeks, I’ve cried nearly every day while walking Spirit. She’s 7 years old now. She still runs and plays for hours each day. She still loves walks and can keep up with me. Yet for some reason I feel this distance – almost like I can feel my losing her. She has so many years left of her life, but it feels like time has passed way too fast. Each day recently feels short.

I had no idea how far we would go together that first day I brought you home, but this journey has already been magnificent. I'm glad we get so much more time together.

The time flies so fast and Spirit’s time here is so limited. My best friend has an expiry date. The thing I love most in this world. The soul I walked all over this world with. She who got me through darkness, my worst moments, and university. She won’t be here forever. Spirit has already touched so many lives. From visiting those dying to teaching children to be more confident – Spirit’s presence has touched countless lives. I don’t know who I am without her, and I don’t know what I will do when she’s gone.             

Letting someone else into my heart has been difficult. I fear that it will change what Spirit and I already have. Completing the East Coast Trail with her at my side was something I have wanted for us for years – I’m so happy we made it happen. I also realized just how short her time here is. Somehow, it has feel like an eternity together, but I also know we will only have so many more adventures. These days, I find myself fighting to fit in as many adventures as possible. When your best friend has a terminal illness, one with no treatment and no cure, you make the most of every second. In this way, we will get endless time back together. I don’t know if I’ll ever get another dog after Spirit.

Maybe you won't live forever, but even a fraction of the joy we've experienced together is enough to change the world.

She’s been more than just my dog. She holds a piece of my heart and always will. I need her. The world needs her. I think its also with the launching of this business – Spirited Canines – I’m realizing that she won’t be here for all of it. One day, I will have to keep going without her at my side. Its not just her, its all my friends who didn’t make it, or who won’t make it just because they are a dog. My friends who get treated with disrespect just because of their species and whose lives here are so fragile. Spirited Canines is my desperate attempt to immortalize them. Maybe, just maybe, if I can be successful, I can carry all this love and give it back to the world.

              These days are so precious. If I could just go back in time and do it all over again, I would never get angry again, I would never raise my voice or get annoyed at petty issues. With her or with any of my loved ones. If I had known in each moment that I would never get to go back, there are a billion things I would change. I would give a million hugs, I would laugh more, I would smile each day until it hurt. I would spend just a bit more time with the sun shining on me and the wind in my hair. I have so many amazing memories, but I also know there are so many moments that I did not cherish – I cherish them now.

These days are so precious.

The changes I’m going through right now, I’m finally on the other side of my darkest nights. I did not anticipate so much grief. I think about all the people out there living with shame, pain, darkness, sadness, and I think about how much they don’t know they are missing out on. I made it to the top of the mountain and I tell you, it is beautiful here. It is sunny summer days playing fetch on the beach. It’s vanilla ice cream that you share with your dogs. It’s hugging them a little bit longer because you know how precious every second is.

I promise a lifetime of ice-cream for you, Spirit.

Spirited Canines is my desperate measure to hold on forever – I know I can’t, but I would give anything in this world to get to love just a little harder and little longer. Spirited Canines is my desperate attempt to share my love with every person on this planet. Life is too short to waste. If we could just heal these deep wounds and hold on tight, knowing that the ride won’t last forever.             

  I want to thank Spirit. For showing me love. For teaching me patience, forgiveness, kindness, gentleness, ferocity, drive, intelligence – she is the partner I needed and has given me back my life ten times over. She helped me through so much and I am so glad we have already gotten to share an incredible life together. Spirit, thank you. I promise to love you hard for the rest of your life. I promise to keep bringing you on adventures until you can’t anymore. I promise to love with you, to say hi to friendly strangers, to make the most of each and every second. You have shown me the way and God, it is beautiful.

We did this together and I am so proud of us. I don’t care about your species or your limitations – you have been a wonderful friend and this world thanks you for all you have done and all you are still yet to do. You are still young and I pray each and every night that we get the most out of this next chapter of life together. I love you. After all, this is your life, and it ain’t over till its over. I promise to stay young forever on your behalf and to never think its over until it is.

Copper, as you near 11 years old, I want you close. I desperately miss the time we lost these past 3 years I've been away. I want to spend the rest of your life loving you. I promised you I'd be with you until you died and I want to fulfill that promise. I miss my friends and they only have so much time left.

Spirited Canines mission is to help at risk youth make the most of the time they have here. I have lost too many friends, too much time, and known too much pain to do nothing about it. I refuse to sit idly by. I believe in the potential of humanity and that we can reach our highest one. Just as Spirit has taught me to love each moment, to cherish each smell, Spirited Canines internalizes this love and promises to do everything it can to teach it to the world.

With a love that has pierced me through the heart,

With a friendship that will last for eternity,

-          Julia & Spirit