Spencer and his brother, Rocky, shared a special friendship for ten years and lived happily with their family. Indeed, the sweet pups’ greatest delight was simply being around one another. According to their owner, Beth Fisher, Rocky and Spencer were best friends. They did everything together. The two ate from the same bowl and slept in the same bed. They were absolutely inseparable. Beth Fisher, the dogs’ owner said: “They had never spent a night apart. Rocky and Spencer slept in the same bed, ate from the same bowl and always walked together when they went out.”

Sᴀᴅʟʏ, however their joyous time together recently came to a ᴄʟᴏsᴇ. The family received ʜᴇᴀʀᴛʙʀᴇᴀᴋɪɴɢ news from their ᴠᴇᴛ; Rocky had developed a ᴄᴀɴᴄᴇʀᴏᴜs, ꜰᴀsᴛ-ɢʀᴏᴡɪɴɢ ᴛᴜᴍᴏʀ. During a visit to the ᴠᴇᴛ to pinpoint an ᴀɪʟᴍᴇɴᴛ the blonde dog Rocky had developed, a large ᴄᴀɴᴄᴇʀᴏᴜs ᴛᴜᴍᴏʀ was found to be growing inside of him. The ᴛʀᴀɢɪᴄ discovery, made too late for ᴛʀᴇᴀᴛᴍᴇɴᴛ, left only one option to end the poor pup’s sᴜꜰꜰᴇʀɪɴɢ. Sᴀᴅʟʏ, the only option is to put Rocky down so that he wouldn’t have to sᴜꜰꜰᴇʀ. It was a sᴀᴅ day for the family, especially for Spencer. Fisher said: “Rocky had to get ᴘᴜᴛ ᴅᴏᴡɴ that day. It was hard to process Rocky’s sᴜᴅᴅᴇɴ ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ, but we can’t imagine how hard it must be for Spencer to have ʟᴏsᴛ his little brother.”

When Rocky ᴅɪᴇᴅ, Spencer wandered all over the house, looking for his brother and crying when he couldn’t find him. Sᴀᴅʟʏ, Spencer would do this every night and would start crying. Rocky’s ᴀsʜᴇs were placed on a shelf above where he and his brother slept, to keep the pair ᴄʟᴏsᴇ. But it was apparent that Spencer needed something more to help him to ᴄᴏᴘᴇ. So, they had a ᴘᴇʀsᴏɴᴀʟɪᴢᴇᴅ ᴘɪʟʟᴏᴡ made with Rocky’s face printed on it, and it has definitely helped comfort Rocky since his brother’s ᴘᴀssɪɴɢ.

Right away, the thoughtful gift put Spencer at ease. The pillow honoring Rocky seems to have helped fill the void his ᴘᴀssɪɴɢ had left in Spencer’s ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ. Fisher said: “Spencer has been cuddling into the pillow since it arrived, carrying it from the sofa to his own bed. He seems a lot more settled now he’s got something to cuddle into.” Now, Spencer sleeps with the pillow as if he were sleeping with his brother again. Nothing, of course, can ever bring Rocky back completely. Though as Spencer, who himself is getting on in age, drifts off to sleep, it’s reassuring to know his best friend is still by his side in sᴘɪʀɪᴛ.

Today, Spencer brings the pillow with him everywhere and cuddles with it all day. He is still ᴍᴏᴜʀɴɪɴɢ Rocky’s ʟᴏss. However, the pillow of Rocky’s face has helped Spencer ɢʀɪᴇꜰ. “I don’t think Spencer will ever get over Rocky’s ᴘᴀssɪɴɢ, but I hope he’s able to learn to go on without him,” Fisher said, adding that the path forward is one he’ll never have to face alone. He added: “We’re hoping Spencer is able to take comfort in his new pillow, and take comfort from all the cuddles he’s getting from his family.”