Saying Goodbye to Dogs

A week ago I stumbled across a news story of Duke's last day. Duke was adopted a few years back, then was diagnosed with osteosarcoma last year. One of Duke's legs was amputated due to the cancer, but it unfortunately spread. On July 7th his owners said goodbye to Duke.

I encourage you to take a few moments and visit the photo blog of Duke's last day here. While tearful, I found it a beautiful tribute to a canine life well-lived. The video below shows Duke before he fell ill.

Dogs have always impressed me with their ability to live in the moment - to enjoy life as it unfolds. Being strong for an ill or declining dog is hard, but helpful to them as they are very responsive to our own emotions. Saying goodbye in a loving and caring way is something I feel every good dog deserves. It looks like Duke got that, and it was moving to see his family share not only his final moments, but his life through the video. I hope, as time passes, their good memories grow stronger and the tearful ones fade...