['The dog I grew up with died a few years ago. I was really sad about it.', "Aaawww,  I'm sorry you had to go through that", "Yeah I don't live near home any more so I wasn't able to say goodbye. Losing a pet is always pretty hard."]
It is really hard to deal with  Especially if you aren't nearby. Sounds like you really miss your sweet beast!
The dog I grew up with died a few years ago suddenly. He was quite old, but it was still a shock. I don't live near home any more so my mom had to call and tell me. I was extremely sad about it.