For over 10 years I never needed an alarm clock.

Our big fur-ball Zoey, came into my room every day between 4:00 and 5:00 in the morning and pushed her big Newfoundland / Golden Retriever body against my bed until I got up to let her outside. It was her way of saying, “Time to get up and go to work.”

She has been in our family for over 10 years and has always been a special “part of our family.” She was never a problem, never ran away, never tore anything up, never was aggressive and was simply the best dog we have ever known.

She used to go to work with me every day and spent the day in the studio and did various trips to the store, bank, clients or just out making deliveries. It didn’t matter where we went, she always wanted to go. To her, it was simply about “being included.” For those who knew her, and almost all of our friends and clients did, she truly was a special kind of dog. Her ability to do facial expressions and communicate was something I have never seen before in a dog.

When we first got her many years ago, my kids and I took her for a walk downtown one Saturday evening. Well, as some people know, when you put a dog on a new dog food, it takes a while for the dog’s body to adjust and many times there is a short time of disruption to their digestive and bowel system. Well, we were going by the windows in front of The Spaghetti Factory and as we were waving to the people inside eating as they were pointing to our beautiful new dog, we didn’t realize until we looked back that Zoey had been spewing a 40 foot long string of very liquid diarrhea that everyone in the restaurant was reacting to. And yes, we were mortified and could do nothing but run away. This story has been told hundreds of times over the years and caused many a belly laugh.

I held her body and rubbed her ears last night as she breathed her final breath. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life.

She was my companion, my confidant, my trusted advisor, my security, my bedfellow in the woods when we went camping, my swim partner and probably most importantly . . .  my mirror in life. I talked to Zoey about things that no other human knows.

For over 10 years I never needed an alarm clock.

This morning, I awoke to what what appeared to be something pushing against my bed. I know in my heart that it was Zoey saying, “Time to get up and go to work” one last time.

She will be missed more than anyone could ever know. I have never loved and trusted anyone or any thing more than I did her . . .

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For those who did not know her, the following is a link to our entry into the 48 hour film festival. We decided to use Zoey as the star of the show. As you can see, she far surpassed our expectations. She truly was a movie star dog.

http://vimeo.com/79699176