Today our beloved beagle, Sally, passed away. She was only 7. Even in dog years, that was young.

We met Sally when our first dog Frisky was diagnosed as terminal. Our friend at work, also named Sally, suggested that we get another dog while Frisky was still alive, so that we wouldn’t have to go through a period without a dog. So we went to Animal Control. Frisky had been so lively and rambunctious, we thought we couldn’t handle another dog like her, so we looked for a quiet dog. It didn’t take long to find one – a two-year old beagle. She was a little skittish at first, but we took her for a walk and she seemed to warm up to us so we decided to take her home. Bev thought of a name for her right away – Sally, after our friend at work. It fit nicely and that became her name then and there.

It wasn’t easy at first. She’d had two litters of puppies in the past and then was abandoned by her owner. She was nervous, and didn’t get along with Frisky at all. We had to keep them separated for the first week, but finally Bev just let them be together and work out their differences. Soon they became fast friends. Sally warmed up to us too; we found she especially loved to have her stomach rubbed and would seem to smile broadly when we were doing it. She had such a gentle kind disposition, Bev dubbed her “sweetness.” When either one of us come home from being out, the two dogs would be there to greet us. We’d walk them side by side every day.

A few months later, Frisky could barely walk without stumbling and had to be put to sleep. Sally seemed to sense how much we missed her and would come up to us with one paw outstretched to comfort us. We loved her dearly, but it just seemed too quiet with only one dog; we missed having two around. So we went out to find a companion for Sally. We found a dog amazingly similar to Frisky, but male. Fortunately, a caretaker at Animal Control told us that male and female dogs get along better than two males or two females. So we were ready to take him home if Sally approved. We brought her with us to Animal Control. Poor Sally shivered; I think she was afraid we were taking her back. But instead she met her future brother Gemini and liked him right away. A few days later, we brought him home to her and they took to each other right away. We loved walking them together. Sally walked daintily with dignity like a prim and proper lady, while Gemini trotted playfully like a mischievous boy. They were a true odd couple, quiet reserved Sally and bouncing, boisterous Gemini. They were the two best dogs anyone could ask for.

Last year, before leaving on a long trip, I found a lump on Sally. It was cancer, but they were able to remove it and clear other bad cells from the area, so she seemed fine. Months later, another lump appeared elsewhere and again she had it removed and the surrounding area cleared. But then about two months ago, several appeared at once. The doctor thought it might be a spider bite instead. Sally seemed to respond to medications and was her old self quickly. But then more lumps appeared elsewhere and a lot of her soft skin became pinkish and stiff. Medications didn’t help; it was clearly a massive case of cancer. We took her to an oncologist in Tampa, but the cancer cells had advanced too far and over too many organs to try to remove them. Chemotherapy only had a 50% chance of working and would give her six months to a year at the most. We decided just to take her home and let her spend her last days with us. We didn’t want to have to put her to sleep – our experience with Frisky had been very traumatic. But God was merciful to her and to us; she died quietly in her sleep. She didn’t have to suffer any more pain, and we didn’t have to put her to sleep. But of course, we miss her terribly. She left her paw prints on our hearts. It’s a reminder to all of us that life is short – and precious!