Big Boy Dawson

Big Boy found us one night at a gas station. He had spent the day greeting strangers and wandering through traffic. Around midnight, I opened the door of my van, and without hesitation, he climbed in.

Big Boy never sat beside you. He sat on you. We suspect this was his way of making sure you couldn't get up. He wasn't on the couch. He was the couch.

Like many rescued dogs, our journey together wasn't perfect. His boundless energy often exceeded what our family could keep up with, but we never stopped loving him or being grateful that he chose us that night.

Big Boy was also an escape artist. Gates, locks, and fences were simply puzzles waiting to be solved. He picked locks, found weaknesses in every enclosure, and dug countless holes beneath fences, always searching for a way to be closer to the people he loved.

Big Boy was incredibly smart, endlessly affectionate, and impossible to forget. He came into our lives by climbing into a van one ordinary night, and for the next eight years he filled our home with laughter, muddy paws, giant hugs, and unwavering love. We will miss his goofy grin, his brilliant escape plans, and the enormous heart that never met a stranger.

Rest easy, Big Boy. Thank you for choosing us.