Posted July 31, 1999

Precious Zachary, my handsome, loveable teddy bear Cocker, has left this life, and we are poorer for it. He had such a short time after his rescue -- barely seven weeks in his new home. Sickness came upon him suddenly; he was stricken with an autoimmune disease, and there was no way for him to fight it.

It was clear from the time I took him in that Zachary was someone's pet -- though from his condition at the time of rescue, it is hard to imagine that he was loved and cared for. I will never understand how people can just dump their animals, especially a precious dog like this. The signs of domestication were evident, though. He immediately took to his new surroundings (a doggy paradise), even sleeping in his new mother's bed. He knew commands, too. More is the mystery. 

Zachary's new mother was kind enough to take our Caton home to foster when she adopted Zachary. Since Zachary's passing, she has decided to keep Caton. They are comforting each other right now.  Caton is in a good place, and I am very happy for him. But I will never forget sweet Zachary or the sound of his mother's broken voice on the phone, telling me he had lost his battle, trying to justify his death by saying, "I guess God must have wanted another angel." How true. She has shared some of her thoughts with me, and she wants them passed along. Incredibly, she does not regret taking Zachary into her home and her heart. She says she would do it again, even if the time had to be brief. That is what real love is all about.

I think I was blessed by Zachary's presence. People shake their heads that I could feel so deeply for a dog I had only seven weeks. Zachary loved me first and made me feel like I was the most important person in his life.

I have other dogs that I have had for years who love me but not with the passion that he did. He couldn't stand to be away from me. He'd scratch doors and bark to get to me. Once there, he had to be on top of me, letting me know by big licks how special I was.

I didn't teach him love. He taught me. He was afraid of losing me. That is why it was so important that I did everything I could to give him a chance to live. I hope some day to have another Zachary for I think that is an experience worth repeating.