This week we lost our sweet Katie dog. I mean we really lost her. She was almost eighteen years old. We have had her since she was two weeks old and I fed her with a medicine dropper. She had required a lot of care over the last few months. I willingly gave this care, I love her so much. Her hips were very weak and stiff, perhaps painful, though she didn't complain. She had grown incontinent. She was mostly blind and totally deaf. She seemed happy enough. We didn't feel that we should put an end to her life.

Our Katie has loved us very well. What ever we were doing outdoors, she was always there with us, sometimes sitting between us and the weeds we were pulling, but wanting to be as close as she could. When we moved to the home we live in now, she spent hours chasing the squirrels who teased and chattered and waggled their tails at her. She was in doggie heaven. She has been a constant companion for many of our children, who don't remember life without her.

On monday morning, she got up, clean and dry, and ran around the yard with her lovely ears flowing and a beautiful smile on her face. This dog could smile. Later in the afternoon she walked away. She was known and loved by all our neighbors who looked for her with us. We believe she wanted to be alone at the end of her life, perhaps to spare us. Everything this dog did was because it was what she thought we wanted her to do. We are reminded of her constantly and miss her deeply with heavy hearts. We are comforted by the idea that she can now run, pain free, and see and hear as keenly as she once did, and is maybe chasing some spirit squirrels somewhere. We hope to see her again.