Maverick was born on April 2, 1999. I had searched high and low for a chocolate lab and when I found him he was 2 days old. He looked like a little hot dog, but I was in love at first sight. I drove one hour each way several times a week to spend time with Maverick because I just couldn't stand to be away from him. I finally was able to bring him home with me on June 2nd. We had an instant bond, one that was much stronger than anyone I had ever had a relationship with. I was married at the time, but often spent time alone with Maverick for it was a difficult marriage and my husband was not faithful to me. After time we divorced and it was just Maverick and I. He was always there for me ready to lie on the couch to watch a good movie, ready to go for a ride, go for a walk, play ball, or just sunbathe in the backyard. He loved running on the beach and chasing birds, he seemed to just float as they did over the waves. He was my best friend, my soulmate, my child, and my dog. I think he believed he was more human than animal, he even responded to complete sentences better than one or two word commands. He was very responsive to my emotions and the emotions of family members. We left Florida and moved home to Texas after the divorce. Maverick and I spent a lot of time at my grandmother's beach house in Port Aransas, we both loved it there. When Maverick was 4 he was diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy. His first seizure was horrible, my friend and I rushed him to the all night animal hospital. When we got there he was fine. After more seizures and multiple vet visits it was decided that he would undergo testing from specialists. He was such a trooper during these times, always focused on me and making sure that I was alright. We never found a reason for his epilepsy, but he was soon put on medication which stopped the seizures. Life continued to be wonderful with Maverick. I always told everyone that he was "gifted" because he learned so quickly and hardly ever made a mistake with anything he did. When Maverick turned 6 years old I met a man on eHarmony who turns out is a very wonderful man. I never thought I would be able to trust or love the opposite human male sex again, until then. After 6 months of dating Bill was very much attached to Maverick and we all spent a lot of time together taking walks, going for rides, going to the beach, etc. One day while watching a movie and petting Maverick I found a bump and immediately called the vet. It was a malignant tumor and was removed immediately. All tests came back negative and all was well again. In January of 2006 there was a lab/corgi mix dog in my yard which turns out was left behind when her owners were evicted. It took my almost 2 weeks, but I finally gained her trust enough and she became a member of our family. You could see that she had been neglected, abused, and was very hungry. Maverick took to her immediately and after a couple of days she took to him as well. They were so funny playing together. We enjoyed walking them and doing all of the things that we used to do with only Maverick. Three weeks later on the way home from a walk Maverick just stopped and sat down, I sat down with him. Sometimes he couldn't walk as far as he used to as a result of the medication he was taking. When I sat down I looked at him and noticed that his groin area was very red, very swolen and could also see a very large knot. We picked him up and took him to our vet. Horrible news, it was a malignancy which could not be operated on because of its location. I thought my world was ending and I cried and cried. Six days later as I looked into my trusted companions eyes I could see his pain as well as his will to want to please me with anything I asked him to do. I couldn't bear to see him suffer, that weekend had been a very long one full of medicaiton and pain pills. He was also beginning to have difficulty urinating. I called my vet at home and he met us at the vet office shortly afterwards. My vet is like my second family and they are all very wonderful, I do not know what I would do without them. Maverick lay on the blanket with his head on my let as I stroked him over and over on his head, ears, body. He had the most velvet ears of any dog I had ever met. When it was over I couldn't leave. My vet, my boyfriend and the vet tech and I all stayed with Maverick for about 10 minutes then they all let me stay in the room with him alone for as long as I needed. After about 20 more minutes I tore myself away, that was the only way I could leave, and proceeded out the door. It was the most difficult thing I have ever done in my life and I still feel like I betrayed him because I couldn't save him from his illness that time. I know he watches over me, I can see his eyes through the eyes of our 3 rescue dogs that we now have, but it isn't the same. About 6 months after his passing I decided to bury him in a certain spot next to my grandmother's beach house. Ever since I did that I have felt an emptiness and a regret for doing so. Tomorrow the same man that was with me during Maverick's last year and I are going back to that spot to retrieve Maverick's urn/ashes and bring him home where he belongs. From now on he will remain in my home with me and when my day comes when I am buried he will be in my casket with me. I love my puppies that I have now, but there will NEVER be another Maverick. I love you boy!