Our Pack has lost a member

This week ended with the loss of a member of our pack.  The Princess, who had been with us over 16 years, came to the end of her life.  My husband and I made the painful decision to have her euthanized.  She had a long, wonderful life but in the last few weeks had gone downhill quickly. 

The Princess was an exceptional dog.  She was not easy, being part chow and part lab, she had the best and the worst attributes of both breeds.  She was very strong willed and wanted things her way.  Variations in her schedule were not handled well.  Yet she took her job as the head of security for our house very seriously.  No one, either human or animal, crossed our yard without her knowing about it and letting us know that our perimeters had been breached.

She did tolerate grand dog and The Beagle, our latest pack addition.

The Princess allowed hockey players who lived with us for many years to be part of her pack.  She loved the snow and I would often take her for long walks on winter afternoons.  She would bury her head in the snow and then jump out of it with her face all covered with the icy stuff.

I will miss her so much.  She was my faithful companion and, like many chows, picked me as her favorite person.  She would tolerate my husband (he said she considered him "better than nothing").
I know we made the right choice, allowing her to leave us in a way that was painless and peaceful.

Sleep well my Princess.  I know you crossed the Rainbow Bridge yesterday.  I will see you when it is my time to make the same journey.