09/19/2025
Eulogy for Donaghy
*Thank you to everyone for your kind words. If youâre new to Donaghyâs page, youâre not too late. Iâm finally able to start posting more of his adventures. I hope you can use those posts to get to know who he was a little more. Iâm happy to have you follow along. â€ïž
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On September 3rd, 2025, John Francis Jack Donaghy Burton, (yes, other than the last name, the whole thing is the characterâs full name heâs named after), woke up with two working eyes, four legs free from arthritis and full of the muscle from his youth, kidneys that function as they should, an uncompromised immune system, a heart that beats on time, and a mind that is clear, calm, filled with peace and uncracked marbles.
His time with us didnât come to an end because a disease or illness won. He simply ran out the clock. He was tired. He thrived through various physical, mental, and emotional challenges for his entire life. And he never let one of them take him. Again, he just ran the clock down being at least 16 years old, and was ready to go.
He was the best boy. Be clear though, that doesnât mean he was great at being a dog, (he disliked most people, didnât want to be touched, and while he loved to meet dogs, refused to play with them). He was not a, âstraight A student.â He was kicked out of grooming more than once. We tried training. His trainer, Ellen, often brought him to the head of the class thinking it would help him learn more. It didnât really take. As his dad would say, âHeâs bad at dog.â
What he was great at:
Slowly sniffing and cataloging each new food or Cookie with appreciation before eating it.
Appreciating every toy he received by taking careful care to never destroy. The exception was owls. He had to meticulously remove the feet from every owl.
Calming my anxiety when I held his heart next to mine.
He was well travelled having visited 40 states.
He had a clear understanding that he wasnât meant to be an alpha dog, and wore his Assistant to the Regional Manager confidence proudly as he bossed around any cat he met, making him The Sheriff of CatTown.
He understood that he should enjoy doggie safe fruits and veggies in addition to his regular diet, which, we attribute to his long life.
He laid on my chest when we traveled and a rest stop was needed. I could nap soundly knowing he was watching and would never let anyone approach the car unexpectedly.
In his final days, he put aside his fear of water and discovered a new found love of the ocean, to go along with a lifetime love of the beach. He gave up his fear of car windows being down and bravely climbed up to one, put his arms out, closed his eye, and flew.
The thing he did best though? Loving his parents, and the small group of aunts, uncles, and cousins he accepted as âhis pack.â He may not have played with you like ânormal dogsâ do, but he always cried when you left and wondered why we all didnât just live in the same house.
It is both horribly unfair that we tend to outlive dogs who wake up every day with their goal being, âgive all the unconditional love,â and a tremendous honor that we might be selected to spend some of our human lives being a recipient of that love. Itâs an awful price we pay to experience something so precious.
Itâs a love that Iâm not sure people are capable of. Our potential for unconditional love becomes complicated and polluted with things that dogs never have to consider. Theyâre simply here to love you.
He never gave up on finding parents who wanted his love. He was adopted and returned over and over. His heart would break, and then heâd try again and again, and finally found us. If Donaghy has taught the world anything, itâs to keep giving love even when itâs not returned. We had no idea when we named him, that Donaghy in Celtic means, âstrong fighter.â His dad and I have loved him more and more each day and our hearts will be broken until weâre reunited.
When I take my last breath, the one that leads me to whatever is next, and I open my eyes, I pray the first and only thing I see is him running toward me. I believe he woke up fully healed of every ailment. And Iâll wake up fully healed from the emptiness I have now. Heâll be there to fill up my heart again.
Weâd like to extend heartfelt gratitude to each and every social media follower. I read to him the majority of comments youâve left over the years. I believe he understood and knew he was loved by numbers of people heâd never know. You made a difference for this little dog who wanted desperately to be loved.
If youâd like to honor Donaghyâs life, please consider donating to the thing that brought him the most joy - Woofbowl, a mobile food truck for dogs. Itâs a small Black-owned business, and Ron and Solo loved Donaghy. They donât do the business to be wealthy, and theyâre never too proud to talk about obstacles like having to repair their own truck when it breaks down. We believe in their mission, and weâd like to see Donaghyâs light shining on. Send them a donation and maybe theyâll even make a special cookie named The Donaghy one day.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/woofbowltoinfinity
I had to take a little break. But donât worry, Iâll get back to posting all the moments from his Last Big Adventure that I didnât yet get to share.
