A Dog's Last Will

In September 2006 mom lost her beloved collie shepherd mix Shen to spleen cancer. It came on suddenly and it hit her really hard. She tells me how she came to know Shen ... a scraggly 9 month old puppy, a rescue dog who was up for adoption through a rescue in St. Louis, Missouri. Mom happened to stop by a Petco in St. Louis one Sunday afternoon and there was this funny looking dog. No one wanted her. Well, until mom came along. She stopped by a health food store on her way back to her apartment ... Wild Oats. She opened up an eastern medicine veterinary book, and the page opened up to "Shen". She decided to name her new pup Shen ... which means spirit. What a great name.

Shen lived with mom till she was 12 years old. Mom tried desperately to save Shen, but in the end, after surgery and two blood tranfusions, realized it was time to let her go. She held Shen's paw as her spirit crossed over. I tell my mom that we will all go there some day. It's okay. Our time will come and it's a beautiful place.

Shen led mom to Pet Haven and to the work she is doing in animal welfare. Thanks Shen ... you did good!! :) And because of Shen ... mom adopted Missy, then Mister, then Henry ... and finally me!!

Mom doesn't want to think about the time when it will be my turn to go. She tells me that i'm going to live a long, long, long, long time. I smile. I tell her though, that when it's my time to go, there will be another beautiful star out there that will need her, and for whom I will want to have the hundreds of dog beds that mom has purchased for me!! :)