It all started in an Easter Basket… Easter of 1996. My boyfriend, Tommy, kept begging me to get a dog. I would rebut, "This house isn't big enough for a dog!" Well, Tommy's victory was won when we went to see this gorgeous litter of white/yellow labs. They looked like a pile of baby polar bears, all curled up together. Next thing you know, I’m bringing home a 5-week-old white lab (with a cute, pink nose). I surprised Tommy on Easter by presenting our new addition in an Easter basket! We named him Quincy. The first year was quite a struggle; (we all know how bad puppies can be!) Dogs go through their "terrible 2's" also! I still remember saying to Tommy, "It's either YOU, or the DOG…." For unrelated reasons, Tommy was soon looking for a new home. Yes, I kept the dog that I "didn't want." For the next eight years Quincy became my one and only treasure; my crutch when all else was falling apart in my life. He loved me so unconditionally… and that taught me so much about life! Anyone in my life knew the phrase "Love Me, Love My Dog" all too well (which wasn't hard to do, since Quinner loved everyone he met). We ran at least two miles together every day; and he still had bundles of energy when we'd get home for more romping in the back yard with the neighborhood kids.

He was the "picture of health" up to the day I lost him. One late Tuesday evening in August of 2005, I was getting ready for bed and heard this God-awful groan; a noise that I’d never heard before – and will never forget. I ran downstairs to Quinny… but he was gone. It was that quick. I was a mess! I know I'm fortunate that Quincy had a fantastically, spoiled life, and went quickly without any pain and misery; and I’m fortunate that I didn't have to make that final decision, but he was literally here one day and gone the next. This is just as devastating as a planned goodbye.

Please go home and hug, squeeze and kiss your doggie…and spoil him/her rotten…! It is the least you can do for them. It's been almost two years since I lost Quin; and there is not one day that goes by that I don't think of him and look at his pictures. He was my best friend.