history: I was going through a hard time and my dog died unexpectedly. It was a great shock.  Earlier this year I was going through a very hard time with the illness of a family member. Out of the blue_comma_ my dog died. That's incredibly sad_comma_ I'm so sorry for your loss. How long had you had your dog? 
current: I had him about 7 years. I loved him so much and having him die when he did was more than I could take at that moment. 
next: Do you have close friends and family that can help to support you through this time? 