Breeding and owning dogs is a journey filled with joy, laughter, and countless cherished memories. But alongside all the wonderful moments comes one of the hardest truths we dog lovers must face: saying goodbye.

This summer has been especially difficult for us at Yarmilan. Within just one month, we had to part with three beloved members of our family.

First, our dear Tibetan Terrier, Ch. Yarmilan Back to Lövskär – Jossan, left us in June due to a tumor. Jossan had lived with my parents since she was a few years old, but because we lived so close and saw each other often, she was still very much part of our everyday lives. She had just turned 13. She was the sweetest and most loving Tibetan Terrier you could ever have <3 As a youngster she came up with all sorts of creative interior design projects and customized several brushes, shoes, and other boring everyday things into beautiful lace-edged works of art. But you couldn’t be mad at her, as she was the most adorable and beautiful little Tibetan Terrier lady. Later, her creativity settled down, and she focused more on her duties as a companion.

Before we had even begun to adjust to life without her, something truly heartbreaking happened. Our promising and successful young lhasa apso Coco, only four years old, suddenly fell ill. At first, I believed it was something treatable, something she would recover from. But the diagnosis was devastating: a tumor that had spread and ruptured inside her. Nothing could be done. Losing her so suddenly is a pain I still cannot put into words. Even as I write this, tears fall, and my heart feels unbearably heavy. I will have to write more about beautiful character later as I’m still in so much pain. She meant so much to me <3

As if that weren’t enough, the summer heat began to take its toll on our oldest lhasa apso, Sonja. At nearly 16 years old, she had already shown signs of aging, and I knew the time was coming. Even with preparation, letting go of a companion who had been by my side for so many years was no less painful. She was the therapy dog for my mother-in-law for so many years and after she passed tragically I felt like Sonja was the only thing that was left from my in-laws. We miss all of them so much and it feels so unfair to have to let go!

They say that without sorrow, we could not truly appreciate joy. Life, with all its beauty, also carries hardships and loss. None of us can escape that reality. And when grief strikes, it is only human to feel the weight of sadness, frustration, and pain. It’s important to allow those feelings to exist, rather than forcing ourselves to be positive when our hearts are breaking. I feel like I can’t write exactly like I would want to because the words still are not coming easily. One day I will be able to write more detailed obituaries that will honor these three beloved family members.

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