Passing of Michelle's Best Friend...

"He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion." --Author Unknown

This is THE most personal post I think you'll ever see on here...

On July 30, 2007 at 1:30pm, I had to make the hardest decision of my nearly 40 yrs on this earth & put to rest my best friend, Goliath -- my ~13-yr-old German Shepherd mix. He'd been battling Liver, Stomach & Thyroid problems, and could not even get up that Monday morning, nor would he take his favorite treat -- a dog bone/biscuit. My father had to help me & carried him in to the vet's office...

My ex-husband & I adopted Goliath (who at the time was 5-7 yrs old -- they were never sure) on his last day before euthanasia from the Humane Society of Southern Arizona back in November of 1999. I'd grown up with cats, but he wanted a dog.

Goliath was a big, scary-looking boy with nicks in his ears, scars all over his body from fights and huge callouses on his elbows. I was scared of him, in fact, at first -- but if you looked closely, he had the saddest eyes, and you could tell he'd been through a lot on the streets. When he came home, he was definately the "Omega" rather than the "Alpha" -- even with the cats who'd he'd let rub all over him!

Two months later (January 2000), my ex left our newly purchased house after helping me with some pictures for eBay (at that time my business was "SacredWares"), saying he was going out to shop for my birthday. He returned a couple of hours later only to say he wanted a divorce. Needless to say, it was a shock, but my parents, Goliath and my cats were always there for me.
As a matter of fact, the only asset I wanted & received from my divorce were my pets... In retrospect, I got the better end of the deal!

Goliath helped me through a lot these past 7 years, and his passing has been very painful, but I know that I gave him a good life and lots & lots of love -- and he certainly made an impact on mine...
And as my mother said to me that night on the phone from Illinois, "He got happy eyes, when he used to have the saddest.".

I miss you so much Goliath...

IN MEMORIUM....
Older animals and those with special needs are sometimes the most euthanized animals in our shelters across the nation today. Please know that adult, senior and special needs animals sometimes make the very best companions one could have and ever ask for. Yes, you may not have as much time with them as you'd have with a puppy, but they've been through more and NEED the love you can give.

A Few Statistics:
1 - Over $2 billion is spent annually by local governments to shelter and ultimately destroy 8-10 million adoptable dogs and cats due of shortage of homes. (Source: Business Wire Features).

2 - The public acquires only 14% of its pets from shelters; 48% get their pets as strays, from friends, from animal rescuers, 38% get their pets from breeders or pet stores. (Source: The Humane Society of the United States).

3 - Approximately 55% of dogs & puppies and 71% of cats & kittens entering shelters are killed, based on reports from 1,038 facilities across America. (Source: National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy - Shelter Statistics Survey).

FINALLY....
"I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something I can do." --Edward Everett Hale, 1794-1865, American Orator and Statesman

THIS is why we donate some of our monies to the various animal shelters and rescue organizations here locally. I am only one, but I will continue to do what I can!
YOU may be only One, but YOU can do something as well...

Spay / Neuter ANY pet you have -- and if you are considering bringing an animal into your life, treat & love it as a family member. It is NOT a disposible item you bring in on a whim in our throw-away society!

Signing off of my soapbox now with Blessings,
==Michelle