Despite her loss, Hammett managed to capture canine whimsy — “If we’re being honest, Charlie loved everything life had to offer (except stairs. He hated stairs)” — as well as the deep love they shared. She concluded the obituary with a poignant request to readers: “He will be forever missed and forever remembered, but he left behind his fierce love, which never wavered. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you give all your pups some extra love in honor of Charlie.”I wrote my dog an obituary because of course I did. He was the best boy. pic.twitter.com/FKmqeivtq9
— Sallie Hammett (@SallieGHammett)
INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOUR PET: Dogs can be trained to to detect cancer and other diseases in humans. Cancerous cells release different metabolic waste products than healthy cells in the human body. Dogs may even be able to sniff out cancer cells simply through smelling someone’s breath.
The response has been a great comfort for Hammett.
“It’s been a distraction because I have a new dog picture to look at every two minutes, which was an unrealized dream of mine,” she said. “It’s been so overwhelming but heartwarming, too. Overwhelming in a great way, because it’s made me feel like my grief is shared, and it’s just so cool that so many people are getting to know Charlie.”