July 3, 2012 – November 18, 2022

Payton was my land angel, and now he’s got his wings, waiting to be reunited with all of us that will ALWAYS have a piece of him in our hearts.

Payton was more than just a regular dog. He was my companion while I went through some of life’s biggest changes and challenges – he got me from the age of 20 years old to just a month shy of turning 31. He gave me courage to move across country to a place I’ve never been. He gave me patience as I figured out ‘adulthood’. He gave me the push for adventure. In times it felt I was alone, whether mentally or physically due to distance from family, Payton always made anywhere we were become home. I am grateful that my boy held on as long as he could, so he knew when I truly found my home, a place he filled with tons of laughs, snuggles, and big Paytee goofiness.

Whether you met Payton at a parade howling at the fire trucks, you were our neighbor, our friend, our family, our coworker, our doctor…EVERYONE instantly loved my boy. It is one of the happiest things I’ve been feeling – all the love my boy has not only shown me, but the love he’s shown and given to everyone he’s met in this world.

Payton probably had the most adventures out of any pup. 10 years of me rejecting invites if they didn’t allow Payton to join. 8 years of just us, partners in crime. Exploring life in CA, IL, and WA. The last 2.5 years, Payton and I found our forever home. A home that meant no more moving (local and cross country), a home where we both were and are loved more than anything by Drew and Piper. I truly believe Payton held on until we found our home, and I found the human love of my life. So grateful for you Buddy Buds! Payton taught me how to love, he taught me what unconditional love is, he taught me what it’s like to care for another being no matter what. When I would cry, he’d find me. If my head was down, he’d use his snout to lift my chin and start licking the tears away. My boy hated when I’d be upset or emotional, but he always did what he knew he needed to do make it stop. All of this is hard, but the hardest is when your comforter is no longer there to comfort you.

Payton was also employed at one point. His mission was to train reactive dogs to behave. He helped so many pups become calm, some of those pups were on their last straw with their owners and he whipped ‘em in shape by just being the goodest boy in the distance, eating chunks of hotdogs and licking peanut butter.

He fought the fight, gave it every bit of him, and it makes me proud to know he went over the rainbow bridge while in remission – still kicking cancers butt!

Payton. Payter tot. Tay. Tater. Bubby. Bubbs. Potato. Tate. Paye. P. Pay-tanie-anie-badonie. If love alone could have kept you here, you would have lived forever. I can’t wait for the day I get to touch you, see you, and hold you again.