I commute on my bike every day and on the way home there was this little pikanese that I used to stop and say hello to. The poor old guy lived outside most of the time. His owner was an old man, that was in poor health, that I would rarely see through his window. I did this for about a year and even started bringing him dog biscuits. He was always so happy to see me, as I don't think he got much attention, there were some chickens in the yard that he was friends with but he was very lonely and his hair was always matted. I would have asked the old man if I could take him in but I figured he needed him as a companion. Last Friday, I rode up to say hello to the little guy and he was not moving, just laying on the hard hot cement licking his lips trying to get water. I was horrified and I called my boyfriend and scooped him up and took him to the vet. They did everything they could for him, they cleaned him up and gave him antibiotics, He was completly paralized, we spent several hours with him, stroking him and telling him that we would take care of him. He did not make it through the night. I had him creamated, I figured he deserved that, poor little guy. My only regret is that I did not try to talk to the old man about taking care of him. I miss him and I cannot ride by that house anymore. So this story is dedicated to the poor little guy...I wish I could have done more for him.