My favorite dog friend has left me forever…

This happened when I was a child, but I still remember it very clearly to this day.

I left my dog with my grandparents in rural China when I went on a road trip.
To be honest, I felt a little uneasy from the start — I had a vague worry that
“maybe she’ll get lost.”
But every time I asked, they said everything was fine.
I kept telling myself I was just overthinking.
Later, I wanted to go pick her up, but my parents wouldn’t let me go, making all sorts of excuses to put it off.
I didn’t push the issue too hard at the time, and a long time passed.

It wasn’t until later that I realized—she has been lost for quite some time.
I was overwhelmed.
It wasn’t the kind of moment where I burst into tears right away, but rather, I felt a bit hollow inside, and then I started replaying everything over and over in my mind.
I’d wonder, was that uneasiness I felt back then actually justified?
If I’d known sooner, or if I’d been a little more persistent about going back, would things have turned out differently?
But there are really no answers to these questions.
What’s even harder to bear is that for a long time in between, I had absolutely no idea.
I was still going about my life, still thinking everything was fine, and even looking forward to seeing her again someday.
Sometimes, when I’d see a dog that looked a little like her, I’d instinctively give it a second glance.
Thinking back on it now, that whole period feels a bit unreal.

It was only later that I gradually came to understand that the hardest part about someone “going missing” is probably that constant feeling of uncertainty.
Unlike “passing away,” which marks a clear ending.
“Going missing” is more like everything warm and loving coming to a halt at a point with no answers.

Thank you for taking the time to read this far.
I hope everyone’s furry friends stay healthy and safe ❤.

Have any of you had a similar experience? Share it in the comments section~

This post is reposted from my Xiaohongshu account, “Tracing Paws,” where it was originally published on April 10, 2026.

Click to read the original article