Bailey the lab-mix

If you’ve been following me for a while, you may already be familiar Bailey, my black lab mix. Yesterday, she passed away at home after several years of liver issues.

When we adopted Bailey 12 years ago, we were looking for a small dog. She was listed as a “chihuahua/rat terrier mix,” expected to be about 15 pounds. Then 20 pounds came and went. And then 30. And then 40. She eventually slowed down around 55 pounds.

While she wasn’t quite the lap-dog we expected, she was an amazing dog! She was incredibly loving, loyal, and well-behaved, even as a puppy.

If you attended one of my workshops, you may remember her as a staple fixture during the weekly office hours. She loved to sleep in my office all day, snoring away in the background while I worked.

Bailey in many ways kick-started my career as a web developer.

When we adopted her from PAWS New England, their website didn’t really reflect the awesome work they were doing. I was still an amateur developer at the time, and volunteered to build them a new one. They work I did with them became they key work experience I highlighted when I starting looking for professional developer jobs.

When I started freelancing, my other dog, Jake, had just passed away. I made Bailey my honorary “client relations manager.”

When I secured a gig working with Harvard Business School, they insisted that I bring Bailey to the meeting!

Bailey was a labrador retriever to her core. If you ever tossed a ball, she couldn’t help but bring it back. She’s even woken up from a nap at the sound of a thrown toy, retrieved it, and then immediately gone back to sleep.

In her later years, she wanted nothing more than to just sleep in the company of her humans. She had a favorite spot in every room in the house.

My office has a lonely quiet today, without the sound of her snoring in the background. Thanks for a lifetime of love, Bailey…