SAYING GOODBYE TO MY PARTNER IN CRIME (AND LOTS OF DOG WALKS)

Dogs are beautiful beings. They can be your best friend, annoying children, or comforting therapists. It's hard to find the perfect companion. It's even harder to say goodbye. This Monday, my family had to put our beautiful, loving greyhound-collie down. Our rescue pup, Simon, had just hit 15 when we discovered that cancer had spread through his whole body. He very rapidly declined- he was already a thin dog, but within two weeks he had lost so much weight that we could feel and see his whole rib cage. He didn't want to eat, we had to feed him nausea pills and coax him to take just one bite. He could barely get himself to lay down on our wood floors. Though he still would journey to the park with us, he lost so much of his energetic, playful life.

While we will always miss him, it is better to remember the great times we had with him. Even through his severe car sickness, he was an active dog that hiked and camped with us. He was a gentle giant who protected us from any stranger and made himself my personal bodyguard on all our explorations. May we always remember those great adventures with Simon.