Sunday's Denver Post article about veterinarians who do home visits to help pet owners with the difficult task of euthanizing their beloved pets struck our family very closely. The previous Wednesday we had to say goodby to our wonderful 13-year-old Jack Russell, Sassy who had cancer.

Our son was down from Ft. Collins, where he is now a junior at CSU. Our daughter is a sophomore at Lakewood High School. My husband and I with our children sat with Sassy on the back porch, while she laid peacefully on her dog bed. The vet, Dr. Monica, and her assistant, were very kind and reassuring that we were doing the right thing for Sassy. Writing this brings tears to my eyes. ...

After Sassy was gone, our son said, "The dogs were my childhood." (Sassy's brother, Bandit, died unexpectedly last summer.) Then, our son thanked us for getting the pets. We both broke down into tears.

Matt had written a short poem after Bandit died. Bandit ran all day long, thus the title, "Running." Here's the first poem:

Running, running, running

Must run... run, run, run

Run to this fence,

Run to that fence

Run here

Run there

Pedaling and churning

My legs are a blur

How quickly can I go?

How fast can I get from here to there?

Running my conversant Stretch

Running every day for nearly 12 years straight...

Back and forth,

Back and forth

All night I've been going

Faster, quicker

My legs must go

For I feel this will be my final stretch

With those who walk the stretch of the living

Suddenly up ahead I see it

The ether from which we came

And the place which we shall all return

I run, and run, and run, and run

I run so hard to reach my destination

At once I feel it

Great warmth deep inside

It flows through my veins

All throughout my body

No longer are there aches, or pains

In my body or mind

All fears have diminished

Worry no longer exists

Ones I love pass through my mind

And happiness pours into my anima

And happiness is what my essence becomes

For all of those who feel it

As I lay and gaze into my grassy domain, I begin to feel tired and sleepiness is settling in. My aches from 13 years of rambunctious play slowly start to diminish. Loving hands are stroking me; so soothing they feel as ifall pain fades away even further. I feel the hands beckoning me somewhere beyond. I am apprehensive at first, but the touch of the hands reassures me and I follow willingly. I follow without movement. I follow as if I am gliding inches above the ground. I look up and in the distance I see a bridge. As I get closer I notice it is a narrow bridge, wide enough for me to cross comfortably. I do not know what awaits me at the end of the bridge, but I know it is nothing to fear. When I reach the end of the bridge I come to a small door, such as the one I have gone in and out of most of my life. Seeing such familiarity I become excited and begin to trot towards it. The moment I break through the door to the other side all pain and aching is completely gone. I feel newfound strength and energy of which I have not felt for many years...

-Running, running, running

Must run... run, run, run

Run to this fence,

Run to that fence

Run here

Run- I hear the familiar sound of a little door bouncing shut, a sound that I have not heard for what seems like a lifetime. I stop my running and turn to look for the source of the sound. I see another standing just outside of the door at the base of the bridge. I do not recognize the figure by sight, but a familiar smell reaches my nostrils and I inhale deeply, recalling the smell from my memory. At once it hits me and excitement explodes throughout my entire body. It is the smell of my sister.

I run towards her faster than I have ever run in my life, and she is running with equal speed and excitement towards me. We smell and lick each other all over, our tails wagging furiously.

"I've been waiting for you," I say.

She looks into my eyes and smiles. "And I've been wondering where you were," she answers back.

I remember the purpose of why we ever left this place so long ago, the purpose of every dog on earth. I begin to wonder. "Have we completed our purpose?" I ask her.

"Yes," she replies. "We gave them as much happiness and joy as they could take and more."

"I am glad to hear that. There's someone else who's been waiting to see you," I say as I stand aside to reveal our friend.

"Long time no smell," Leo says to Sassy.

Sassy smiles and runs and gives Leo a lick. "Too long," she says.

She turns to me and I see worry on her face.

"Don't worry about them. We will be with them again soon. Come on, I'll race you to the fence."

-My brother let out a bark and sprinted ahead. I chased after him, close behind. He reaches the fence before me and when I catch up I realize the fence is no longer there. All that I see in front of me is and endless supply of tennis balls. I smile, and feel complete happiness, for that is what I am.

***
My son hopes to be a teacher some day.