Not long ago, I heard sad news. Ideal, a dog I have known and loved for 7 years, had died. She died peacefully, in her sleep, which was comforting, since she was coping with osteosarcoma and other health issues. Ideal was a gentle, loving soul. Several of her puppies are service and therapy dogs and share her sweet, sensitive personality. She was the sort of dog who could intuit what a person was feeling and offer company, comfort, or a friend to share a happy moment with. She will be missed by many, many people, and probably dogs as well.
It’s often said that the biggest problem with dogs is that they don’t live long enough. How true that is.
This article appears in Jun 24-30, 2010.