Today is my Russell's 10th birthday. Yesterday, the vet said spinal cancer, nothing we can do. He is happy, healthy in all other respects, and not in pain. The vet and I both think he knows it's close to his time by some of his behaviors. He was "my" first dog. The one I got as a seven week old puppy and didn't have to share with anyone else. The one who slept by my side every night until Willie-dog came. He wasn't jealous, it almost seemed as if he was saying, "Okay, I can relax now and let the new guy share 'while-she's-asleep' duty. I hope I can be strong enough to take him myself to meet the bridge with Dr. Jan when it is time. I hope I can be. And he is such a goofy, gamboling, amiable dog, I know he would understand if it comes down to I cannot. They are so much stronger than we often are and infinitely more forgiving.
