Hector

When I met Hector, he was a retiring Guide Dog for the Blind -- he'd been through a rough patch with his blind owner's death, and they had just discovered he had mast cell tumors in his leg and his nose. The wonderful Vets at Guide Dogs for the Blind didn't give him very much hope, and I was happy to have been chosen to take him home with me for his last few months. Well, old Hec decided he was having too much fun having a job with no heavy lifting, and three years later, he was the number one go-to guy when it came to telling the Guide Dog story at fairs, conventions, concerts, festivals and any place where people gathered and where there was a potential for belly rubs and reasons to wag his tail. We had a deal -- I had to laugh out loud before 8 a.m. or he wouldn't get his breakfast, and he always delivered. And when Hec finally did succumb to his afflictions, he did it without a complaint, and never stopped showing his affection for all. I learned more from him than I ever learned for any other being on this planet. Don't give up. Attitude is everything. Love while you can. Don't let the dark past keep the light from shining in your eyes. He was my first dog, and I was his last human. It was the way it was meant to be, and I will remember him always.