I just had to put my dog Claire down this morning.  She had a brain tumor.  We will miss her severely, she was a stray that someone dumped by our cul-de-sac about 2004.  It took us about two weeks to coax her up to our front porch to eat she was starving.  Then finally one day she came up and jumped on our daughters lap and the rest is history.  She was a corgy mix, but a great dog.  She protected our yard like a watch dog whe would not allow any other dog to come on our yard.  She would get up to their nect and scold them and they would turn around and leave immediately.  She had her own chair trhat she slept in in our bedroom.  Not once did she ever make a mess in the house.  That’s just a short story I could go on but must stop.  We will miss her greatly. Old Claire -o-bear was a fantastic love of our life.

— Mike from Alvardo, TX

My mother’s Shit zu came to live with me because she could not keep her where she is living now.  Sydney is 11 years old, sweet, active.  She got along well with my other pets. The local shelter I sometimes foster for  asked me to work with a beautiful Akita mix named Liberty. She was 1 year old, badly abused, very friendly, proud, but frightened, food aggressive; terrified of men.. They had had her nearly a year and since my 2nd Collie in a year had just died of nasal cancer I agreed. I kept her and she has adopted my Pomeranian and last Collie, loves my grandkid,. hates Sydney. For the past year Sydney would growl and bite Liberty, with no response from Berty. Last summer she’d had enough and attacked the little dog. Fortunately I was there, but it was a bloody, terrifying fight. Sydney was badly bitten around her neck and head and ended up in the hospital. I don’t know what to do. I try my best to keep them separated, but Sydney will go over, under or around gates and through crates, to get to Liberty. There have been a couple more fights, not quite as bad, but Liberty would have killed her I’m sure if I hadn’t been there. Liberty gets blamed for being aggressive, but she never once instigated the fights. She has never fought another dog. No one wants Sydney and Liberty will be put to sleep if I don’t keep her. I am extremely careful with her, but am heartbroken. One must go and either way, will probably end up being put to sleep. How do you choose? People say Sydney’s too old. They don’t want an old dog. She was a rescue, had had a rough life and can be obnoxiously stubborn. She’s lucky she’s cute. Liberty was already considered (unoffically) unadoptable. Now she’s on record as having attacked another dog. If she weren’t 30 lbs larger it would have just been self defense. I love the fact that Mark adopts older dogs. People don’t know what they are missing by not taking the older dogs. They don’t chew, they are already housebroken, they are quieter and very grateful for having been given a chance to love a good family. Hopefully Syd will find a good home soon. Returning Liberty or giving her away, with her “issues” isn’t an option. All things considered, I feel blessed for having had to opportunity to help with the shelter, although I can’t give money.

— Jackie from Danville, IL

Yesterday was the saddest day of my life.  I had to put my little dog, Ivy, to sleep.  She had gotten into something that caused necrosis of her tongue.  My only alternative to putting her to sleep was for the doctor to remove her tongue and insert a tube into her esophagus for eating and drinking.  The doctor wasn’t positive that her internal organs hadn’t been adversely affected as well.  So I had to make the most difficult decision of my life.  She was so tiny that inserting a tube would have temporarily delayed the inevitable and prolonged her suffering.

I have always said that I have two babies, my daughter Amy and my furry baby, Ivy.  Both have brought me such joy in life.  Amy went on to make a great life of her own but I had my little Ivy as my walking buddy and companion.

— Lynn from Las Vegas, NV

Our dear, sweet Angel passed away Sat. Dec. 3rd.  Our hearts are broken and overcome with sadness.  Angel turned 14 yrs. old August 10th.  We brought her home when she was 8 wks. old.  She had the cutest, sweetest face and my husband and I could not resist naming her our Angel.  She was full of life and she loved everyone.  She had the sweetest disposition and she was a wonderful companion.  She gave us such joy for 14 years and now our home is so empty without her.  Our other dog, Highway died Dec. 7th last year and we hope they are together once again.  We will forever love and miss our Angel who truly was our little Angel.

— Margaret from Mount Jackson, VA

I have two dogs one is a CHIHUAHUA thw other was a SHIBA INU, my charlie was 12 yrs old, in may of 2011 a large mass came up on his shoulder, it came up so fast, we and the vet thought it was a bite of some sort, so for three days the vet told us to give him benadryl, after three days the mass was getting bigger,  it ripped his skin, I call the vet to let her know I was coming in with him, she took a look, xray, and a needle sample from the mass, between waiting for the test results it was three weeks before she could operate, they removed the mass, and wrapped him up, told me what to do, he healed up great, two months ago I was giving him a bath and found a lump, I called the vet and told her I had to bring him to her, she took xray later that day I got the call I was dreading, the cancer was back, and was in his cervical spine, there was no hope, she gave me some pain meds and wished she had better news. nov 15 I had the vet come out to the house, I could not bear to drive him there and then having to drive him home. early in nov I had already dug a grace, and had a coffin for him, I sat down with him, and he was in my lap as she gave him the meds to put him to sleep.  she gave him something to relax him, he did not even flinch from the shot, finally the vet ask, do you want me to do it now, I had tears in my eyes and had a hard time talking, all I could do was shake my head, she gave him the shot, a few minutes later she put her hand on my shoulder and told me he was gone. she ask if I needed help, being disabled I had already had everything taken care of, I did not want any help really.  they left, I kept him on my lap for a long time, finally I put  him in his coffin, and carried him out back.  I had him for 12 yrs and he was more of a son than a pet, I still have the litttle one to keep me company, I had got him for the wife, but being I spend most of my time in the recliner he has attached himself to me.

— J. L. from Fernandina Beach, FL

We recently lost our 3 year old Samoyed, and I took his recently opened bad of food to a near by rescue shelter to donate it.  Little did I know it was the start of something wonderful.  With a sad heart I went in the back with the dogs for what I called some “puppy therapy” .  This is where I met my Frannie.  Frannie is a 2 year old female Mastiff that was rescued from a shelter that was going to put her down.  Frannie and I instantly bonded.  If love at first sight really exist it happened with us.  Needless to say by the end of the week Frannie moved into our home.  She is so loyal and well behaved.  This may sound corny, but when Frannie walks into the room you can feel the love as she enters the room.

— Dennis from Delphos, OH