I have had dogs my entire life, but Yoda was different. He never really barked and was a very mellow dog from the beginning. There was never a time Yoda was not ready to snuggle. He was truly the best nap partner ever. His snoring was so loud it sounded like a chainsaw. When he was around 1, he must have lost a tooth and his tongue began hanging to the side indefinitely. This was a signature trait for everyone that met Yoda and always made us smile all these years. He loved food so very much and had one orange rubber ball that was his absolute favorite. I would have to show him I was putting it away or he would stare underneath the table for hours thinking it was still there. If we could pick one word to describe our boy, it would be stubborn. We would joke that it was Yoda's world, and we were just living in it. If Yoda did not want to do something, he would just lay down and no one was going to change his mind. Even though at times this could be a tad annoying it is also one of those things we loved about him.

We took Yoda everywhere with us we could. Whether it was Sunday brunch, Vegas on New Year's or relaxing by a nice fire in a mountain cabin, he was with us. We took Yoda camping with us several years ago and let's just say he was more of a glamping kind of dog. While we were sitting around the campsite talking, everyone just happened to be facing Yoda as a very annoying fly was buzzing around. Yoda without any effort quickly snapped his neck and caught the fly on his tongue like Jabba the Hutt. He was always with us bringing a smile to our face.
When Yoda was around 3, we found a bump on his side that turned out to be a mass cell tumor. My stomach turned inside because no one ever wants to hear the "C" word. Luckily with surgery they were able to remove the tumor and Yoda was back to himself in a few weeks. When Yoda was around 7, they found multiple cancerous tumors in his ear that could only be treated by removing his ear drum. Although he would not be able to hear out of one ear we knew if it was going to save his life and his quality of like was there, so we had to do it. Yoda always had select hearing, so not much changed and he was back to himself in a few weeks.

When Yoda was 11 years old, he stood up to get breakfast and collapsed. We found out his spleen was covered in cancer and had to be removed. I remember the emergency vet telling me to say goodbye to him in case he did not make it through surgery. I walked over to him on a surgical table, gave him a kiss and told him I loved him. When I walked away, he lifted his head to see where I was going. The hospital staff were in shock because he was deathly sick and could barely move. He was in the hospital for 3 very long days but made it through surgery. With treatment and a few weeks of recovery he was back to himself.

When Yoda was 13 years later, he was acting very odd, and I knew in my gut something was wrong. I suspected he had something neurological going on but was not sure. We took him to the emergency vet and found out he had a mini stroke. My stomach turned inside again and my heart broke. They kept him overnight and called the next morning to let me know he was doing better and ready to come home. We were ecstatic and I could not wait to pick him up. I missed my best friend, even for just one night. When I picked him up, I was surprised that he did not seem better to me but in fact a little worse. He was still having trouble walking, would not eat and just did not seem to be himself. I thought maybe he was just exhausted and needed some rest to be back to himself once again like the other times. Unfortunately, this that was not the case and we lost him the next morning. I am grateful we were there by his side as he took his last breath, so he was not alone.
He was the one who stole our hearts from the day we met him. He was truly and whole heartedly our very best friend. A fighter his entire life, he is now at peace playing with his favorite orange ball and his brother Grimsey. Thank you for bringing so much joy to our lives and showing us what unconditional love is. You will be missed more than you know.

-Sherri, Ronnie and Gidget