(photos by Joan Sowma)

The dogs in our building know. It started with Relic the Rottweiler, Opal's best friend. Joe ran into the big dog downstairs and Relic was all over him, excited. It wasn't excitement in his usual head ram in the pocket, gimme a treat kind of way; it was a weird nuzzle in the gut mixed with a full body I cheer you up wiggle. Later I ran into Bowser, a lovable boxer/pit nut who usually body slams me until I pet him. This time he leaned against my legs as if he wanted to pet me and wagged his tail furiously. Even Duke, a lazy grump of a mutt who disdainfully sighs when he sees us, got animated and hopped and wagged his tail wildly. Thinking about it, it's the tail wagging that's different in all of them. It's like they're sending love and want us to know it's for us, not them.

Opal's foster mother got Opal and her siblings when they were barely a month old and she sent us these pictures. I gotta tell you, the void this dog left is massive.