Farewell to My Faithful Companion

It's a very, very sad day here today. My 14 year old dog, Zoe, died today. She suddenly got sick a few days ago and we discovered her liver was in bad shape. We tried treating her, but she hadn't eaten in 4 days and was getting weaker and weaker. So we had to put her to sleep this morning.
Zoe was my faithful companion through many, many emotional times in my life. We got her in Lutz, Florida when she was just a puppy. My daughter had decided to move to Maryland to live with her dad and Steve was working shifts at a factory because it was the only job he could find. She was my emotional crutch as I dealt with my only child not being home. A couple of months later she apparently got hold of a cane toad (very poisonous!) and nearly died. But somehow she suddenly healed up and never was sick another day in her life until 3 days ago.
She was there with me when I went through my back injury. The last 3 months before my surgery, she would climb up on the bed and put her back up against mine in just the spot that hurt the most. She would lay there until I moved. She was there when we went through lots of really tough years - always wagging her tail ready to chase the tennis ball or the Frisbee. Steve used to say "White dogs can't jump you know." But boy could she run!!!
She hated water, but loved the beach. She also loved peanut butter, popcorn, oranges, bananas and dry-roasted almonds. Every night Steve would take her around the corner of the yard to check on the mango tree. She never ran away even though she wasn't leashed. Most of all she loved road trips! Once at a VERY large gas station somewhere out west she tracked Steve from the car to the bathroom in the back of the property! Her nose was always sniffing the ground or the air and her ears were always up. Even in death she looked as alert as ever - ears straight up and eyes wide open.
It's the first time Steve or I have ever had to put an animal down. It wasn't very easy at all. But it was quite peaceful (except for my loud tears). We had a great veterinary hospital. I can't thank them enough for the TLC they offered us over the past 10 years.
So it's farewell to my faithful companion. I'll never forget you Zoe. You'll never be replaced no matter how many pets I may have in the future. You'll always be my pretty baby Zoe girl, the best doggie in the whole wide world. Thank you God for letting her be a part of my life.