Top Ten Greatest Things About Dogbomb (1963-2019)

Dogbomb fought the disease until it caused severe physical damage and beyond. Even a few days before his death, he still participated in an ALS awareness marathon in a wheelchair. He never gave in to ALS and refused to slacken off, always giving his best until the very end.

Dogbomb spent his last months doing only what he wanted, having a good time, and doing his best to make people smile. He reminded us that no matter how hard times may be, you should always enjoy life like it's your last day, whether it's threatened or in perfect health.

Dogbomb knew he was inevitably going to die. His efforts to make ALS more public and raise donations weren't to prevent his own death, but because he had hope that, if more was done to find a cure, other people in the future might not have to share his fate.

We know from the past that many diseases once thought to be absolutely lethal can now be cured. But that progress cannot happen without scientific research.

Other people who died of ALS include Stephen Hawking and Stephen Hillenburg. Another effort to raise awareness of ALS was the Ice Bucket Challenge.

Dogbomb first caught attention when he wrote an emotional essay about Sarah, a woman with cerebral palsy. It was emotional not because it was sad, but because it was uplifting. He gave her story an audience and wrote about her personality. That was back in 2010.

Dogbomb was never one to make people feel sad for him. The opposite was true: he said they shouldn't cry over his death but think of the great life he had. He spent his last months sharing all kinds of positive experiences, and that's a strength few people have.

Dogbomb stood for everything good about furries. He used his fursona to make people - like Sarah, for example - happy. He had great values and always saw the bright side of the community, even when neither the world nor the community itself could see it.

Whether as a German shepherd or as a human, Dogbomb was all about inclusion and unity.

We also shouldn't forget how badass this guy was. I mean, he was a German shepherd, a marathon runner, cared for others no one seemed to care for, and always had an in-your-face joke prepared.

Tens of thousands of furries, many of whom had never talked to each other, spent months following this man, feeling honest empathy and comforting each other. Dogbomb's story deeply touched all of us, and whether we knew him for years or only a few moments, his great personality made us all grow attached to him.

There may be drama and differences between parts of the furry community, but during this time, everyone put them aside.

In his final days, there were new comments, drawings, videos, and more made in his honor - thousands of them. And he read and watched them all, even commenting on several. He was so down to earth and in touch with people. It was and still is amazing.