This is a story of incredible love and loyalty. My father had a close friend named Russ. Russ was married for 50 years when his beloved wife died of cancer. This was the most devastating thing that could possibly happen to this man and he mourned her until he died. About three years after she passed, Russ had a stray dog show up on his porch. A scraggly looking mutt that he let in and fed. Well once you do that, you own him. So Russ and this dog, which he named Biscuit became very close and were always together. Russ had a vacation home in Baja, Mexico and he and Biscuit used to go there about once a year for a few months. Then, in 2001, Russ’s sister passed away and his family tried to reach him but couldn’t. They knew he was in Mexico so his cousin went there to find him. When he got to the house, he found that Russ had died and next to him was Biscuit, also dead. As it turned out, Russ had a massive stroke and had died on the floor of his living room. Biscuit had died of starvation. There was a bag of dog food on the kitchen floor that was torn open and there was still food in it. The dog had lost his will to live without Russ and had starved himiself to death, even though there was still food. He was laid to rest at Russ’s feet in his coffin and the urn with his wife’s ashes in his right hand. The headstone reads: Here lies Russ, Elma and Biscuit, forever together.

Ed from WA