Farewell to our faithful companion

We got home last night and found our dog Moe, on his last leg. He died a couple of hours after we arrived. It is very sad to all of us, because we have had him longer than either of the kids. Garrett and Gra, neither one, know life without him.

Shane got him from a breeder in McMinnville, in 1994. He started out as a great hunting dog and ended up as a great pet. He was a Chesapeake Bay Retriever, and Shane really did do a good job training him to "retrieve" the kill. He had to sit on his left side, because the bullets, or shells, or casings, or WHATEVER they are, would fly out of the right side of the gun. He would jump into the pond for hours at a time, getting the "bumper" or anything else that someone had thrown in for him.

He stayed at home with "the fam" each time Shane left for the police academy, dog schools, state trooper academy, etc., and never wandered. When younger, he would follow the kids anywhere on the farm they would go, and I honestly felt like they were safer when he was with them. He looked like a lioness, with his coloring and broad head.

His favorite thing on the farm, was when we'd go fishing. Just a couple of weeks ago, Garrett and I went to the front pond. If he saw a poll in your hand, he would struggle to get up and going, and follow you there. He would pace between the 2 of us, waiting for us to catch a fish. He would almost tremble when he saw us reeling in something. Shane has a STRICT rule, that you can do whatever you want with most fish you catch, but if it is a bass, you have to throw it back! (whatever) Well, Shane wasn't up there with us... and Moe DID walk all the way THERE, and we can't HELP what we catch, so he did enjoy some bounty there anyway!!

All of the pictures I have of him are from time prior to digital, so I really don't know how to post one, but will see what I can figure out some time later!! If you don't have a dog, I HIGHLY recommend that you get one. They are lots of trouble, expensive, and sometimes destructive, but the memories you have of and with them will far outweigh the above. He will be missed by all of us, but especially Shane. Goodbye old friend!!

I'll write more later when I am less sad!! Thanks for reading!! Jerri