A Lifetime of Friendship: Pets and Their People

Dogs' lives are too short. Their only fault, really. -Agnes Sligh Turnbull

Pets add so much to our lives, and most of them are extremely loyal, especially when they've been with you since their puppyhood or kittenhood. It’s true they don’t live long enough, but if we are lucky, we can be there for them for their entire lifetime, if not ours. Here are some pictures that show how that bond endures over time. If you’ve never taken a picture of yourself with your pet, you might want to do it now.

Redditor Petey09 posted this photograph of his uncle and his uncle’s dog, Mackenzie, who spent 15 years together before she passed away last week. It’s a wonderful juxtaposition to remember her by.

AgentJackBauer liked to cuddle with his small puppy Vesta. But Vesta is a Great Dane and eventually grew up. She still thinks she needs to sleep with him.

This is AlmaGordo and his dog Midas as youngsters and ten years later. He explained that they moved four times in the intervening years, but still has the papaya print from the first picture. It seemed appropriate to use it as the backdrop for the later picture.

These pictures posted by emmareddit were taken 13 years apart. They are of an erstwhile redditor named diegogo, but that’s all we know. Well, we know the pictures are cute. They would have been cuter if he had been wearing pajamas in the more recent photograph.

Two years ago, roseanna777 had to say goodbye to her friend for 12 years, Chica, the toy fox terrier. She took a last picture of them together before he was put down, and used it as a tribute to him. That’s why she’s crying in the more recent photograph.

Ronnie Polidoro posted this composite portrait of Gatsy the Jazz Age Poodle with his owner Brooke, showing how he grew from a small puppy to a rather large poodle, completely obscuring Brooke when he sits in her lap!

Gordondel, a musician from Brussels, found a picture taken of him and his dog, and recreated it ten years later. Same dog, same house, and yes, he’s wearing the same sweater!

Roddick_Is_Amazing got a kitten as a boy, and 17 years later, they were still together. The cat is named Mr. Kitty.

Jmtrapas had a picture of his African Sulcata tortoise Tommy from 1996. He took another picture with Tommy in 2013 to show how both of them had grown. Now Tommy is around 85 pounds and at least 17 years old. Jmtrapas did not mention how much he weighs.

This is my daughter and my cat Gogo. The only way I can remember Gogo’s age is that my daughter was two years old when someone dumped a litter of kittens at my workplace. She was the only one left by nightfall, and I couldn’t leave her there. Gogo is now 15 years old, and has the wisdom of her age. She looks after the other three cats, who are much younger and dumber.