rest in peace ben (aka west)

Hi Carol;

I know for sure that Ben wanted to come and see you after 10 years but he had what the vet called a 'cardiac event' Tuesday afternoon and was quickly put at peace with little discomfort. He never really did recover from the vestibular problems 6 weeks ago but he did enjoy these last few weeks even though he couldn't go for walks and we treasure every day of that. He had developed a habit a few years ago of barking and jumping constantly when he saw his food being dispensed and he continued this until his last breakfast Tuesday morning. He was a real fighter right to the end, we are so glad we had the privilege of knowing and loving him. Assuming he was about 3 when we adopted him, he made it to ~ 13 which was far longer than expected for a dog of his size. I remember you telling me he may only live 7-8 years so Ben certainly had great longevity genes.

His ashes are already beside those of Sadie (whose death resulted in finding Ben) and Sandy (whose death resulted in finding our current little devil called Rosie). I have attached a couple of pictures of Ben if you want to put one on your memorial page.

I realize you deal with this weekly but for me it was just devastating. I still see him in his favourite spots. For years, he literally slept on our feet every night. Without doubt, my favourite animal ever, he just seemed so human. Not to mention his ability to open doors at his whim. He had one great life with us thanks to you Carol!

As in the past, we would like to find a new friend for the dog left behind, this time it's Rosie. I would like a dog similar to Ben but Mary seems to think an older less active dog is appropriate. We have looked through your website and see many adorable candidates.

Bud: looks like a diet and exercise are in order
Bailey: what a sweet face
Phoebe: it looks like you've permanently adopted her, she looks like a real character
Sammy: what a cuty

Perhaps Mary could call you to see if you have a good match for us. Our Rosie is ~ 7 years old and gave Ben a rough time when we adopted her. She is an alpha female and even though Mary has worked with her, she cannot be left off-leash with other dogs at the off-leash park. She did love Ben very much but we are not sure how she will react to a new dog in her home. The first day we brought her home (even after meeting Ben on a neutral site) she would not let Ben into his own house!

Our house is 2 levels so it really helps if the dog does not have an issue with stairs. However, in the last few weeks with Ben, we bought an air mattress and slept downstairs with him.

Please let us know if you can recommend a new friend for Rosie!