<HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><HTML><FONT COLOR="#800000" SIZE=6 PTSIZE=24 FACE="Basque" LANG="0"><B>it is with a very heavy heart that i tell you that Buddydawg has gone to rainbow bridge tonight...it was almost 9 years ago ath Dawn and Rich brought this wonderful bundle of fluff to meet me at a local diner...he jumped out of their van, ran over to where my daughter, grandaughter and i were standing, and rolled over for a bellyrub, and i knew he was mine, or, perhaps better said, that i was his...life with Buddy was always great and fun and filled with bellyrubs and lots of love...more recently, as his arthritis began to dominate his life more and more, we tried all kinds of meds, some specially ground for him, others like the s.o.d. boswelia and more recently the aquatran (i know i'm saying that wrong) two shots a week for a month...everything seemed to help a little bit, but slowly he would go down in back more and more frequently and need more and more help to get back up...this past weekend showed me that decision time was at hand...he hadn't eaten and only had a bit of water today, instead of bringing Bud to the vet for his shot, we went to talk to Dr. Luke...as usual, Dr.Luke got down on the floor with him and checked him over...his heart was just racing...and he couldn't support his own weight even with help...and we knew decision time was now...so with love and hugs and kisses and many tears from Dr. Luke and his staff, and a river from me, we let this never complaining, always wonderful precious boy slip out of his pain and off to the buffet...a parting gift from one of the vet tex was a peice of giardelli chocolate (it sure wasn't gonna hurt him now)...i guess i'll stop crying eventually...right now eventuallly seems a long time away...run free my precious boy...Rene'e<BR>
<BR>
</B></FONT></HTML>