My husband and I have a Pomeranian named Cricket.
He used to belong to my neighbor and would visit our house each day,
trotting up our gravel driveway like he owned the place.
He was so full of life.

His bright eyes, fluffy tail and shiny coat made him seem impossibly beautiful and special to us. We nicknamed him, "Foxdog the Otherworldly Savant" because he exuded an otherworldly cuteness that was just heartbreakingly adorable.

We were in love with this dog!
We played with him every day.

It soon became painful for us to watch him leave and head back to his house next door. We worried about him getting hit by a car and wanted so badly to adopt him and give him the kind of home he deserved.

One morning before work, the neighbor who owned him appeared at our doorway holding him in his arms. There was blood on his little face and paws.

Our worst fear had come true.
Cricket had been hit by a car.

The neighbor couldn't afford the vet bill and asked us if we would take Cricket to the vet and adopt him as our own.

Of course there was no question in our mind about it!
Cricket would be our dog.
My husband took him to the vet immediately.
I was crying uncontrollably.
It broke my heart to see his little body broken.
I prayed for him.

The vet said his little leg was paralyzed
and that if the nerve damage did not correct itself,
then his leg would need to be removed.

Sure enough, it remained paralyzed and had to be amputated a week later.

His recovery was painful to watch, but I think it affected us more than him, because his spirit was so happy and strong throughout the entire ordeal.

Unlike a human, he never got discouraged or felt sorry for himself.
He remained cheerful and full of life.

Now he hops around just like he always did!
The only change has been that my husband and I don't let him wander around the neighborhood like our neighbor did. We have a big fenced-in yard where he can run and play (and, yes, he runs like a speed demon, even with only three legs!).

But for the most part he stays inside with us.
Cricket is like our child, and his story has deeply inspired everyone who has crossed his path.

I think dogs are one of nature's most precious gifts.
They inspire, persevere, protect, heal and encourage us every day.
They are beautiful and noble creatures and serve a very special purpose in our lives.

I love Cricket with all my heart and consider him the best friend I could ever ask for.

"To err his human, to forgive canine."

Alison Robertson
Hattiesburg, MS
Friday August 3, 2007

Murphy is our sweet 10yr old Golden Retriever/Irish Setter.
I adopted Murphy when he was 8 weeks old.
He's been my shadow for the past 10 years of my life.

There have been a lot of rough patches in Murphy's life.

He fell into a creek when he was a puppy and got swept away, but thankfully survived.

He was hit by a car when he was 1 1/2 and broke a few ribs and punctured a lung.

He's been attacked by a swarm of bees and ended up looking like McGruff the crime dog.

Then a nasty neighbor stuck poison in my backyard and Murphy ingested it.

Lets just say Murphy is a fighter! He has got a heart of will.

A couple of weeks ago (August 2007) Murphy started limping.

We thought he must have pulled a muscle and decided to give him a couple of days to see how he was doing. He just got worse. I took him to see our vet that weekend and he thought it might be cancer. They did a full series of x-rays on him to conclude it was bone cancer.

Yesterday, Murphy's leg was amputated. It was a very hard decision for us to make.

When I looked into his eyes, I just didn't feel he was ready to give up. His doctor said he wished more people were as willing as us to give their dog a chance.

They are doing a biopsy on his leg and we will have more information next week. We pray for the best for our sweetie. He deserves any chance he can get.

Nannette Donahue
Tuesday August 7, 2007

UPDATE:

The first two days after the amputation was rough.
The next thing Murphy decided to take on the stairs.
He shocked us!
He was hopping around all over.
It was like he was a few years younger.
He even tried to jump into our bed.
He made a remarkable recovery.

We started chemo a few weeks after the surgery.
Murphy had one round and went back for his second
to find out that his white cell count was a little too low.
We continued using antibiotics and were going to take him back
the following week for round two.
The weekend before he was due to go back,
Murphy was having trouble standing on his front leg.
We would carry him outside to go potty,
but he got to the point where he didn't want to do anything.

September 19, 2007 we took Murphy to the vet.
I knew it wasn't going to be good.
The cancer had spread to the other shoulder.
Murphy was in bad shape.
We ended up saying our good-byes that morning.
I held him to the end.
He was such a good boy.
I miss him terribly.
We laid him to rest at his home
here where I can see him from my bedroom every morning when I wake. I just know that Murphy is pain free now
and playing in the big field in the sky.
My friend sent me a poem that was very touching
for anyone who has lost a pet.
It's called Rainbow Bridge.
It's very touching.
Murphy will never be forgotten.
His spirit goes on.

The Donahue Family
Front Royal, VA
Friday September 21, 2007