Panda

Cowboy here. Sadly, our Rott Panda passed away a few nights ago. Naturally my wife is having a hard time of it; she's grieving for a beloved pet. The saving grace is that the animal had a good life. The dog's last few months were filled with romps on the beach, good food, and in the company of loved ones.

The dog's lungs were fading. She had several bouts of pneumonia last winter. A constant cough left her weak, a bit debilitated. It was just a matter of time. In short, she died in Sar's arms, her mate, Tank, beside her. I finally had to pull Sar away from her; David had to separate Tank from the 2 of them so we could do what was necessary.

We've lost other dogs, a few cats over the years. Our first Rott and Bull Mastiff accompanied us from Florida to the West Coast. Both dogs, about the same age as Panda, were lost to cancer, dying within a week of each other. Our current dogs were a few months old at the time. I fully believe they are responsible for keeping my wife sane through that ordeal.

I'm aware that the death of a beloved pet does not compare with the death of a person. Due to the nature of my career, we've experienced the loss of too many friends to combat as well as family members. Losing a pet still hurts. Panda was more than a pet; she was a highly trained guard dog. Like our other dogs, the Rott was a certified therapy dog as well - visiting folks in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, schools for disabled children. She was particularly gentle around children and the elderly.

There are many stories that could be related about Panda's character, personality, her strength, loyalty, her bravery and her love for my wife as well as her mate. I'll let Sar tell these stories if she's so inclined. For now, she and Tank are comforting each other.

We fly to Greece in a few days. One of us will check back with you once we're settled.

Cowboy