BMM EP 180: All Dogs Go to Heaven

In a raw, emotional episode of Black Millennial Marriage, co-hosts Mikey and Randy confront the death of their beloved dog, Groot, after nearly 11 years of shared life. Groot, a lab-pit mix adopted in 2015 from a Craigslist ad, was more than a pet—he was a family member, a silent confidant, and a constant presence through marriage, parenthood, loss, and career shifts. The episode unfolds as a grief ritual: they recount his joyful puppyhood, his stubbornness, his protective instincts, and his final, painful decline from mast cell cancer. The heart of the episode lies in the euthanasia at Banfield, where the vet’s compassion and the couple’s tearful farewell—holding Groot as he passed—become a sacred moment of love and surrender. They reflect on regret: not having more patience during his final months, not researching senior dog care sooner, and not giving him more time with their newborn daughter, Ray. Yet amid the sorrow, they find meaning: Groot taught them that love isn’t just spoken—it’s shown in presence, in a head rub, in a shared silence. They vow to honor him with a tattoo, to be more present with their living loved ones, and to treat all animals with the same fierce, unyielding care they gave Groot. The episode ends not with closure, but with a quiet, enduring truth: all dogs go to heaven—and so do the souls they leave behind. This episode is a masterclass in grief, intimacy, and the quiet heroism of pet parenthood.