The blog post I have been avoiding....

Sometimes blog posts have some space in between them becuase we get super busy or there just isn't much to say. This time, it's becuase I have been avoiding posting out of fear of not finding the right words to write.

So here goes nothing....

Last Saturday, February 28, we had to make the hardest decision of our lives to put our amazing, sweet Hunter to sleep. As I mentioned on my last post, we found out on the 25 about his cancer and he went downhill very quickly from there. By Thursday evening he was not able to eat hard foods, Friday any food at all, and Saturday morning he was not able to keep water down. We took him into the Metro Emergency Animal Clinic (MEAC) in Rockville around 1:30 on Saturday and within an hour it was clear he was in extreme pain and even drastic measures were only going to prolong his life a few days.

There is no way to express the sadness that we felt making the final decision, but we know it was the right one allowing him the dignity he deserved. We are thankful and lucky that we had our friends rally around us, with many of them there to say goodbye to Hunter and fill the room with love. Jason and I were with him in his final moments and shared with him all that he had given to our lives and meant to us in these past four years.

I have never been treated with as much respect as the MEAC gave us. The staff and especially the vet that we worked with never pressure us, allowing us to make our own decisions and letting us know she would honor whatever we decided. She was also honest and made it OK to let Hunter go. We occupied a private room for many hours, provided the time and privacy needed to make a difficult decision. I can not thank them enough for how wonderful they were.

Hunter came to us via the DC-Lab Rescue: http://lab-rescue.org/index.asp who is now much in need of help due to the economy. They provide us with the perfect dog for us promising a companion who would "sit on the couch and smoke a cigar with us." (not that we smoke!). Through one move, one baby, several jobs and lots of travel Hunter was always his sweet and caring self - showing that all rescue dogs are worth rescuing.

Thank you to all of our friends who made the day a little more bareable and our family and friends whose support this past week has been unsurpassed. The house is a bit quieter and a bit lonlier, but your caring and love has been getting us through.

As has Lilah....wonderful as always. So some photos from this past week

Her first real snow.

Her first motorized car!

Her first boyfriend (What's a post without Alexander.).