As our beloved furry family member Sammy crosses the Rainbow Bridge, I contemplate the fourteen years of joy she brought to our lives, from the spastic puppy that chewed holes in my underwear and shoes and ate cat poop, to the mature, intelligent
and loyal friend she became.

I remember the car ride and joy we felt bringing Sammy home from the Humane Society.

I remember how she walked perfectly on the leash from the very first day.

I remember how she barked at everyone who came to the door, even at people she knew, and who had been over a hundred times.

I remember how my husband wanted to teach her to fetch and beaned her with a tennis ball, thus extinguishing any future interest in fetching.

I remember her being wary but protective when our daughter was learning to walk and toddling unsteadily on her feet.

I remember how she would hang out in the front yard with us, without running away.

I remember her final moments with unspeakable grief.

Sammy was the perfect dog and although we miss her fiercely, we are better people for having had her in our family and we take comfort in the knowledge she lived a
long life and is now in a place with no sickness or sadness.

And she was loved, as no other dog has been loved.