Megan Clemens was on one of her usual walks around her Nashville, Tennessee neighborhood with her Pomeranian Stanley when something caught her eye.
From across the street, it looked like a posted on a telephone pole. But as she approached the sign, the words on it broke and warmed her heart all at once.
“I always try to stop and look at the missing pet signs just in case,” Clemens told The Dodo. “When I started reading, I realized it was not that My heart sank of course but the message was so bittersweet it brought tears to my eyes.”
Clemens recognized the dog on the poster as Buster, the jolly golden retriever she’d seen on her many walks with Stanley. “Buster was such a sweet older pup — one you definitely make an effort to stop and say hello to!” Clemens said. “He was just as interested in saying hello to humans as he was to other dogs.”
Clemens had never seen like it before, and it instantly made her hold Stanley a little closer.
The poster read: “Loved Dog: Buster. To know Buster was to love Buster, and boy did I love him. Buster loved the water, running, playing ball, plush toys, avocados, chicken, meeting new friends (dogs and people), but best of all, Buster loved me. He always forgave me, always comforted me (even when he was sick), protected me, accepted me, and always stood by my side. May you find a love that does the same.”
Buster was Elizabeth King’s constant companion since he was a 7-week-old puppy, bringing her joy every day. Even when he got sick with cancer last spring, he refused to let his mom feel sad. “During that whole time, he was still willing to go on walks with me and comfort me,” King told The Dodo. “And it was so hard because I wanted to be strong and brave for him, but he’s usually the one who would give me that strength.”
After Buster passed, King started thinking of a way to break the news to her neighbors who’d grown to love Buster, too. Making a commemorative poster seemed to be the best way to honor Buster’s life. “Pretty soon after I got Buster, I remember seeing on social media that some guy had made a poster for his dog and it had said ‘Loved,’” King said. “I remember thinking, ‘That’s so cute. What a great way to celebrate your dog.’ And that stuck with me.’”
King hopes the memorial helps continue Buster’s goal while he was alive — making everyone he met feel special and loved, if just for a little bit.
“I want people to know they are worthy of love and can experience a love like that, even if it’s only from a dog,” King said. “Because it’s transformational to be loved that way.”