Bouffant Blonde

  He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away. – Revelation 21:4 He was smart and stubborn. He was my protector and rarely left my side. He loved licking bowls and eating treats of any kind. He was bribable in the best way. He loved walks in the pasture and aggravating his sister. His body failed him in the end. His hind legs were barely functioning. His back pain sometimes caused him to cry out. His eyesight was almost gone. But he was still so happy. I helped him stand when his body refused to lift his backside up. He rested against me until he could gain his balance. I covered him with my body when he started to slip down the stairs. We made countless trips to the veterinarian but there was no magic pill. He was only 14. He was about a year old when he came home from the kill shelter. He’d come into the shelter as a stray. Thirteen and a half years wasn’t nearly long en...

  She came to us as a ball of energy that couldn't be contained by her previous owners. They were done and, well, my husband had a black lab when he was a kid. Need I say more? It didn't matter that we already had three large dogs. And it didn't matter that she jumped up more than she stayed down. She was sweet and loving and, did I mention, named after Alabama Football Coach Nick Saban. Nikki was originally adopted with the best of intentions. Someone offered a free puppy to a lonely man with health issues. Then she grew. He wasn't able to keep up, much less teach her obedience. She needed room to run and play and just be a puppy. I almost took her back that first week. She jerked on the leash, jumped on us with the full force of youth, and tore up yet another dog bed. I was just too old for this, I told myself. But sometimes she was just so cute -- like when she held her "pacifier" with her paws to lick the peanut butter flavored treat from it. Our three old...