Man's Best Friend

On Saturday, January 26th 2013, I lost my best friend of 13 years. Although she could not speak and was a little hairy, I never judged. She listened to all my problems and never missed a chance to comfort me. Her name was KC and she was a Golden Retriever.
I met KC at the age of 7 when my parents surprised me with her that summer. She was so little and wild but I knew we were destined to be inseparable. We played everyday and I couldn't have been happier because I'd been begging for a dog since I was 4 years old.
She loved playing with her frisbee, taking long walks, barbecue flavored bones, and coming inside the house. My father was very opposed to letting her inside because of the fur she would leave behind; but my mother and I would bring her in anyway.
KC was born with an ear issue and had to undergo multiple surgeries throughout her life. Once she reached age 11, she was semi-permanently deaf and it progressed as the years went on. It was very difficult to get her attention so it made me extremely frustrated when I was in a hurry. Although I wasn't spending the time with her that I should've, she never missed a chance to greet me as I got home from school and every time I'd leave the house. I still loved her to death although I was selfish and unappreciative.
As I got older and started putting my friends first, my time with KC shortened day after day; my mother would have to make me play with her before and after school so I would hurry and do it so I could run off and engage in other activities. I took my dog for granted and I am just now realizing that.
When I moved to the dorms on the Western Iowa Tech campus in the fall of 2011, my time with her shortened even more as I only came home to do my laundry. My parents live in Moville and it was very difficult to make time to drive there. Since last year, KC was developing what you could refer to as "puppy amnesia" as my mother liked to call it. She enjoyed venturing off around town throughout her life but in the later years she began to forget how to make her way back home. My mother received multiple calls from the veterinarian and would have to pick her up from there; my parents got tired of this so they started putting her on a leash so she would stay in our yard. I didn't believe this was a fair outcome, but it was for the best.
Once I started having family issues I became very distant with my parents so I wouldn't have to hear of them; I had not seen my dog since November of 2012. My mother mentioned to me last week that KC was going to need another surgery and that she would not be able to handle it because of her age; she stated that it was time to put her down. After hearing this news, I reacted fairly well because I realized that KC would be happier in Heaven, and I began wondering if I should go see her.
The days went by faster and faster and before I knew it, it was January 26th. My mother wanted me to go along with her to the Humane Society, but I didn't think I could bare it because I have a very hard time with goodbyes. As I sat in my living room chair, I received a text message from my mother with a picture of KC in her good years; it was followed with a text saying "remember the great life she had!" The tears began rolling down my face.
I instantly began reminiscing my life with KC and all my regrets and that I would never see her again. I was what some people would refer to as a "mess". She was one of my best friends in the whole world and I could even give her 10 minutes of my time. I will forever miss this furry, loving girl and I know that she is watching over me as she runs around and feels free. R.I.P. KC.