Myrtle Mae, our beloved canine family member, left this earth on April 3rd. She was an incredibly loyal, loving, whip-smart dog. She began her life in New Mexico, where she was abandoned as a puppy. Some kind and dedicated people ferried her to the Boulder Humane Society. Our family adopted her in May of 2005. She was 4 months old. The volunteer at the shelter told us, “Al our puppies are cute, but this one is very smart.” Myrtle was not all that trusting at first. She immediately loved her new home, but wasn’t so sure about us humans. Eventually, she began to connect with us, and became a devoted family dog. She was a very verbal animal and had a large receptive vocabulary. She understood many words, and seemed very interested in our conversations. Once, my son, Max, was begging for a root beer, and I said no. As Max continued to plead, Mytle left the room and returned immediately with an empty can of root beer that she had plucked out of the recycling. She deposited the can at my son’s feet.
Myrtle loved to play the same games as my children. She’d grab a foam sword and leap onto the trampoline with Max and my daughter Nora. Game on! She was very much a part of their childhoods, and helped raise them. She taught them loyalty and patience and responsibility.
She loved to play tag, and run in large open fields.
As Myrtle aged, she came to appreciate her walks more and more. In the summer, we would take her on a familiar route we called “roundy round.” Many wonderful conversations occurred amongst our family members on those Roundy Rounds. Myrtle always wanted to take the lead.
She wasn’t very fond of other dogs. I think she thought of herself as more of a human. She loved to lean against her humans and kiss them. She and I had a special bond, and she followed me constantly in the house.
She loved her treats and her comfy pillows. But most of all, she loved us. She has left a huge hole in our hearts which we try to fill with memories. When I think of home, I think of Myrtle Mae. She was a beautiful soul.