[Vision2020] Black Labs

[debismith at moscow.com]

My regards and shared sorrow. We have a beautiful cocker spaniel/border collie who is now 
15. She raced around the place, chewed my best shoes and new rug, climbed up the front of 
anyone who arrived here, and learned to walk on the top of the garden fence. Her name is 
"Dammit Cookie Down". She has also been the Philips Farm greeter dog for the past 13 years-
--every school bus full of kids had Cookie there to welcome them (and cage peanutbutter 
sandwiches). Kids from Moscow knew Cookie, and first time grade schoolers at the Farm 
shouted "Cookie!", though they had never met her before. She is a Latah Legacy Dog....

Sadly, Cookie is now deaf and blind, a sad state of affairs for one fleet of foot, excited about 
everything, and happy with everyone (particularly those under five feet tall and carrying lunch).

She now wanders around the house, tries unsuccessfully to jump up, falls down the 18 stairs 
she used to take at two jumps, and stares into space trying to figure out where she is. Being 
old, blind, and deaf might be OK for some dogs; for Cookie this is just not right. We are faced 
with the hard decision to let her go forward...it is right for her, but hurts us tremendously. We 
are waiting for a nice Spring day, lilacs in bloom (which she loves to sniff), and sunshine over 
the Philips Farm. 

I think when the time comes, we will pay for an obituary in the Daily Snooze----lots of kids
 (some now adults) will see it and their memories will help us send her where she can run and 
jump and eat peanutbutter sandwiches.....

Thanks in advance, Jean, for the poem---we still walk gently past where those sweet kitties of 
yours are on our property.....It's a good place to let them go. Good hunting, good friends, dogs 
to torment.... 

Debi R-S