Hey awesome RAOC’ers, I could really use a little pick me up this week.

Today I got the awful news that the dog I have had for 13 years is no longer comfortable, and his suffering needs to end. Panini, Pawpaw, Nino, Pipperleescoodle, Pip…he’s worn so many hats and had so many names over the years. I adopted him from an animal shelter that was going to put him down at just three years old because he was a Border Collie and had too much energy and too many problems to fix. I knew he was special the moment I met him…we worked really hard on his behavioral issues, and he ended up being a phenomenal search as rescue dog with me, and saved countless lives. After a hip injury stopped his working career, he became a beloved therapy dog at old folks homes and children’s hospitals to give kisses and cuddle with people when they needed it most. He was forced to retire at age 10 due to hip pain, but he still remained active — hiking with me at the tippy top of the Sierra Nevada mountains, getting sprayed by skunks in the backyard every damn month, and going on roadtrips. Here is a little photo album of just a few of our adventures. He’s 16 now, and the last year has seen him slow down to the point of recently not getting excited to go on walks anymore. We both know it’s time. We have so many memories together, he will never truly be gone. But damn, this really sucks.

This Friday he’ll be transitioning to the other side. It’s going to be a really rough. I’d appreciate any worlds of solice, joy, or comfort that you feel like you can share.

🤍