Winnie

Our dog Winston, a big, gentle Old English Sheepdog, went peacefully on September 4th, 2007, with us by his side. When he came into our lives 13 years ago, as we rescued him from a difficult living situation, it was anything but peaceful! Our first day with him, he knocked our then, tiny girls over in his excitement of his new huge backyard. After a firm scolding, he never did that again. Instead, he slept by their sides, keeping them safe from harm, and always keeping a watchful eye on us all. He herded the squirrels along the fence until his aging hips made that no longer possible. And then our youngest was born, and Winston became his constant companion. As we realized he was getting on in years, we decided an Old English puppy might be a good idea to keep the kids occupied, and give Winston a break. We didn’t think he had much time left. Two years later, his little brother Minos, was running circles around him and annoying him to no end. And Winston refused to go. He must have figured this “pup” couldn’t handle us all. We finally had to make the difficult decision to help ease his pain. Dr. Cooney made the whole experience truly beautiful and we wouldn’t have done it any other way. Being with him, and Minos was there too, showed that he was loved and he was finally at rest, no pain, no aching joints. So, while we will miss our “Winnie the Pooh-Pooh” we know he is in a better place, chasing squirrels to his hearts content! –Jon and Maria Tschetter and family