Goodbye, Sandy.

This evening, Sandy, the golden retreiver that lived a full 13 years, will be put to rest. She lived with my manager but was technically his daughter's dog. Sandy had beat cancer and two bouts of lyme disease but ultimately succumbed to a type of arthritis that worked its way into her hips and into her spine. She was completely immobile and sunk into anyone that dared trying to pick up her 90 pound body. I give a lot of credit to my manager who seemed to stay emotionally very strong through all of this. Since I have known him, he has left every day from work at 4:45 to feed her and take her out for an evening walk (he then logged on from home and worked every night). He took her for semi-monthly baths for her 'Day of Beauty' and regular visits to the veterinarian (8 miles home from the office then 15 miles to the vets office and back again). He sliced her little pills and fed her home cooked meals every day... a very specific type of pasta.

I met Sandy a year ago and asked her to go for a walk. She jumped up after I put the collar on her and she immediately took me for a walk. She pulled and was incredibly strong but then she would suddenly stop to look at nothing but perhaps to smell the fall air. She was always receptive to me walking in the house even though I was there when nobody else was home - but she would welcome me and would wag her tail and lick my hand.

I have a feeling that Jim has had a lot of conversations with Sandy and she has heard things that very few if anyone else knows. He cared a lot for her and I hope that he and his loved ones stay well through this difficult time.