07/10/2025
The Delta Dog House will close tomorrow for pick-ups and drop-offs at 11:00am:
As most of you know, there was a tragic car accident on the outskirts of Cleveland that resulted in the sudden and tragic loss of Josh Willoughby and Ryder Houser that has shaken our family to its core. I had the privilege of coaching both boys from the time they joined the Bayou Academy Swim Team. Over the years I came to know them and their families fairly well. I can wholeheartedly attest to their kind spirits, uplifting attitudes, and the genuine goodness they brought into every space they entered.
We had a unique relationship with Josh. If you didn’t know Josh, your sweet dogs probably did. As he has been a staple at The Delta Dog House for the past two years. To stay here and work, he had to have a good heart and a kind soul combined with the fortitude and resolve to stick with it when the job was tough, and continue to ask questions and learn all he could.
Josh was integrated into the daily life of our family. We did our best to be good mentors to Josh and support his growth and advancement in life however we could. It was clear he had a bright path ahead, and we were proud to be a small part of it.
Like so many in our small town, our lives are forever changed by the heartbreaking and untimely loss of these sweet boys. Every corner I turn I expect to get to see Josh again and ask how he’s doing, how things are going, and help to guide him in his work. I will miss his unwavering smiling face - and his calm nonchalant demeanor that carried him through most situations. Every day we were greeted so kindly and when he would leave, he would infallibly wish us a GREAT day, afternoon, or night.
Please keep all those touched by the lives of these precious boys in your hearts, thoughts, and prayers. May their light continue to live on through the love and memories they leave behind.
