Goodbye Blackie!

Monday, I had the older of my dogs, Blackie, put to sleep.

He had been doing well all summer, for being 17 years old.

Here he is just 10 days ago, helping with the gardening:

I don't want to get into details, but he had a sort of heart attack. He wasn't doing well.

I have mixed feelings about the euthanasia part. 

He wasn't going to pass away easily at home, like I'd wanted.

I felt like I betrayed him, by making his last trip an unpleasant visit to the vet.

I looked around my computer for some pictures of Blackie's better days.

I've lost two hard drives in the past 17 years, and lost a LOT of pictures!

I found a photo album which has photos of when I first got Blackie.

The older black dog was named Queenie. I knew she was lab and chow.

I was never sure what Blackie was, or anything about him.

Maybe Aussie or Border Collie or spaniel, but no chow.

He was never a trouble maker, but he was especially gentle and kind.

Today, I can only find pictures of him when he was a puppy, and then as an older dog.

However, there were many years when he was friends with a big rabbit, and a different cat.

They would all play together. I took videos, but they seem to be lost.

The cat I have now, isn't as playful. These three barely tolerated each other:

When Sam came around, he really stole the spotlight.

Sam was mean, he would run over Blackie when I would throw a ball, and he never shared his toys.

Blackie never complained.

Sam didn't often show fondness to the other dog, but I can tell he is sad.

Sam was sad earlier this year, when Blackie wasn't feeling well.

Blackie had been much better these past few weeks, until the very end.

Without having another dog to compare him to, Sam looks so old now! (He's 11, after all.)