James and I cannot remember a time in our lives that we did not have dogs in our lives. My family got our first beloved dog, Duffy, when I was 2-years old. I recall vividly how upset I was that I was just too small to carry our new Schnauzer puppy to the family car. My husband shares similar stories about his Dad bringing home a puppy in a box as a surprise for him when he was a sick toddler. Loving and caring for dogs is as natural and necessary for us as breathing air.

Not long after Duffy passed away at the ripe old age of 17, while I was in college, I adopted my first dog, Kaya, and never looked back. James adopted Stussy just after college and then Deacon joined our happy pack about 3-years into our marriage. Both Kaya and Stussy lived long and healthy lives and we did not lose them until they were well into their golden years. This was not to be for my beloved Deacon. He lived a robust life and maintained a puppy exuberance until the very end, despite being diagnosed with diabetes his last year. He died very unexpectedly  in April of 2010 due to a tumor on his heart. I was crushed. My home and my farm were empty for me after losing my baby. I told James, despite my loneliness, I could not replace Deacon. He was just that special.