Goodbye

1994-2008

We had to have our dear doggy put to sleep yesterday. It is so hard to describe the pain that all of us feel right now. He was fourteen years old and the sweetest little boy you can imagine. He wasn't hyper like some small dogs, but very laid back and very loving. He loved "treats," didn't like baths but loved the cuddling that came after them.

Part of the pain comes from the fact that he was my grandfather's dog (my Dad's father). My grandfather owned both of Scamp's parents and we got Scamp from him when Scamp was seven months old. Not only have we lost a part of our family, but losing Scamp is like loosing Grandpa all over again.

This post is the hardest that I have ever written. Some of my readers remember Scamp and what a sweet boy he is. This is the best way, I think, to let you know about our loss. When we took him in to the emergency care center yesterday, he was diagnosed with congestive heart failure and his lungs had fluid in them. He was having a hard time breathing, but he enjoyed his last car ride, he loved to "Go." It was good to know that his problem wasn't for lack of care, just that he was so old. I think he lived so long because he was so loved. He was healthy and perky, very active for the most part, until the last. He is now buried under a pine tree in Dad and Mom's back yard, next to the former owners' beloved kitty.

Thank you all for understanding. Sorry to start your week on a sad note here, but I felt I needed to share. Please pray for our family as we process and try to get on with life. The picture above was taken a couple of months ago when he stayed with Mark and I while Mom, Dad and Angie were out of town. He is keeping his eye on me while I was sitting at the computer. He lived with my parents and Angie, and Angie and I shared the care. She did most of the caring for him since Mark and I were married. This is really hard on her because he was her constant companion. The important thing was that he knew he was loved and cared for and someone was with him almost every moment when he was really sick. He didn't suffer long, for which we were thankful and the Lord chose to take him on a day when the family could all be together.