Dakota

Name: Dakota

Date of Passing: 06/17/2024

Message to Dakota: Dakota was the heart of our home. No matter where you were, she was there too, always choosing to be with someone, never far from our side. Her quiet companionship filled every room, whether it was dad’s office, the basement with her brothers, or next to her sister's bed at 6 a.m. waiting for her morning walk. She had this instinct to be near us, always ready to offer her presence as comfort. Her love for her ball, her boundless joy at the beach, and her morning sprints to the front door for her walks even in her oldest age—Dakota lived life with a quiet but fierce passion that could brighten anyone's day.

She had an incredible bond with her baby sister, Luna, guiding and nurturing her in the most natural, maternal way. Dakota didn’t just live with us, she raised us—five kids and a puppy. Even in her later years, when life became a little harder for her, she never lost that gentle strength. Her nose pointed towards the sun, basking in its warmth, or standing on the porch, watching over her family, Dakota was our steady, loyal guardian. She was the ultimate force that wove our family together, her love and energy will never leave us.

Tell us about Dakota: We rescued Dakota when she was just 9 months old. She had been through a lot before we found her—beaten and battered, her tongue chopped—but somehow, she still had the sweetest, most gentle demeanor. When we took her outside to play, she fixated on the ball right away, bringing it back every time; she was always so instinctive and intelligent. A few months earlier, while on a family trip in South Dakota, we had talked about getting our first family dog. We dreamed of a girl dog with black fur, white paws, and a white stomach—and that’s exactly who Dakota was when she came into our lives. That moment felt like fate.

She grew up alongside five human siblings and, later in life, took on the role of big sister to our puppy, Luna. Dakota was a natural caretaker, guiding Luna with patience and love, making sure she knew how to be the best puppy she could be. She loved her walks and outside time so much that she would sprint to the front door, faster even than the puppy, and would leap like a doe off of the stairs, even in her old age when it probably hurt. And her love for car rides with mom? Unmatched. Even after mom parked, Dakota would sit in the car with the windows down, offering her paw because she wasn’t ready to go back inside—such a simple gesture to show she wanted to stay and watch the street activity from the rolled down window, and a gesture full of and contentment.

She was a beach girl at heart, and there was no place she loved more than the sand and water. Her soul still lingers over Lake Michigan and the Dan Ryan Woods, where she absolutely loved to take slow, gentle walks and take in every smell, every gust of wind, and every ray of sunshine that she could. She was strong, admirably stoic, and always watching over us with her inherent maternal energy. Even as she aged, she held herself with grace, always managing to stay strong for us despite the challenges of growing older. We owe Dakota the entire world for raising five kids and a puppy. For that reason, she will always be the foundation, friend, protector, and loving guiding soul of the Murphy family.