This is a personal opinion piece from Fox News's OutKick section in which the author reflects on the difficult question of how long a person should wait before getting a new dog after the death of a beloved pet. The author shares that they lost their own dog, Rooney, around three and a half months earlier, framing the article as a heartfelt exploration of grief and the timing of moving forward.

The author explains that Rooney was an 11–12-year-old labrador mix that they and their wife rescued in the later years of his life. Although the couple had him for only around six years, they built a lifetime of memories together, and nearly four months on the author still feels his absence during everyday tasks around the house. The piece is written in a reflective, conversational tone rather than as a hard news report, and much of the surrounding page consists of unrelated recommended headlines and videos.