Welcoming Lola After Losing Our Girl Kloe

Holding space for grief, healing & a new pair of paws

Author: Lucy Lukic

Saying goodbye to a family member leaves a silence that is impossible to ignore. A little while ago, we lost our beautiful 13-year-old Golden Retriever, Kloe. Missing her every single day is a heavy weight, and the house felt really quiet without her familiar presence. While no animal can ever replace Kloe, my family and I recently opened our hearts to a new chapter. We brought home a Goldendoodle puppy named Lola. 

Welcoming a new puppy while grieving a long-time companion is a very emotional experience. It forces you to hold two very different feelings simultaneously: the sadness of missing an old friend and the patience required for a brand new life.

Navigating Grief and New Energy

Bringing Lola home introduced a new energy. Kloe was calm and understood the natural routine of our household. Lola, on the other hand, is a very curious pup. On raw days, that contrast can feel sharp. Yet, watching Lola learn about the world has become a gentle reminder to stay present.

A stray leaf blowing on the yard or a shadow moving on the back deck keeps Lola entertained for hours. Watching her play forces a pause in the middle of a heavy day. Grief can get us caught up in old memories, but a growing puppy demands your presence in the exact moment you are in. Lola doesn’t replace the space Kloe occupied. Instead, she creates her own distinct place with those cherished memories.

Rebuilding Routines with the Pack
Inviting a high-energy puppy into a home with three horses and three cats and another dog (my boy Bernie) requires steady focus. Kloe knew the other animals well and understood boundaries. Lola is learning everything from scratch. 

Supervising those initial interactions takes a lot of care and patience. Watching Lola learn how to share space safely around the other animals brings a welcome sense of purpose to the day. It turns daily chores into opportunities for growth and connection, helping establish a fresh, steady routine for the whole property.

The Bittersweet Comfort of Fresh Starts

Raising a puppy is hard work under any circumstance, but doing it while grieving brings it to a whole different level. The interrupted sleep, house training runs, and constant supervision take real energy. Strangely enough, that intense effort brings its own kind of comfort. It channels emotional energy into building a secure, loving environment for a young animal who relies on you entirely.

Lola is small, but her presence fills the house. She brought noise, quick laughter, and a trail of muddy footprints back into our daily lives. Whether she is fast asleep after a game of fetch or enthusiastically greeting me in the kitchen, she brings a gentle warmth back into our space.

Kloe will always hold a cherished place in our hearts and our home's history. Learning to love a new pet does not mean forgetting the one you lost. It simply means letting your heart expand. I look forward to sharing more updates here as Lola grows into our family.


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