Booter was the living definition of a man’s best friend for his furdad Andrew, who considered the dog as his soulmate. Andrew can’t imagine a better dog for him than Booter was. Unfortunately, a tragic accident took Booter from him.
Andrew and Booter were two adventurers on the road trip of a lifetime. Everything was going great until that one instance that changed everything for Andrew. Andrew was driving for about nine to ten hours. Before he even knew what happened, Booter and Andrew crashed their car with an 18-wheeler.
For Andrew, that incident ruined his life and took his best buddy from him. Andrew remembered waking up and screaming “no,” knowing that Booter was next to him. In his panic, Andrew ripped apart the center console of his cab and got the unconscious Booter out.
Eventually, an ambulance showed up and came to their rescue. Andrew kept insisting that he was fine and the rescuers should check Booter instead. He pleaded with their rescuers to save Booter first and not to worry about him. Unfortunately, Booter passed away in his lap on the side of the road.
Booter’s passing broke Andrew. One of the firefighters named Paul, mentioned that he too had dogs at home and expressed his sadness at Andrew’s loss. Months passed yet Andrew was still grieving. It was then that Paul reached back out because he knew about a puppy who needed a home.
Andrew decided to give life another shot and took the puppy in. The moment Andrew got Kicker home, the puppy immediately plopped down in the snow and went to a full party mode. His positive attitude and bright personality helped Andrew realize that maybe, he and Kicker would get along well.
Kicker really had the same soul as Booter. Andrew noticed the same bravery, trust, and incredible attitude from Kicker. Kicker may not be Booter in many ways but he helped Andrew heal and fill the void in his heart. Andrew used to carry Kicker on his body but the dog quickly grew up and became ready to go on an adventure like Booter was.
Finally, the two took on a six-month road trip from Utah all the way to Alaska where Kicker got to experience a lot of firsts including his first swim. For Andrew, Kicker won’t ever replace Booter as he has his own special place in his heart just like Booter had.
Images credit to Andrew Muse