Griffin was a once in a lifetime dog. Maybe once in a hundred lifetimes. He was the most kind, sweet, loving, gentle, loyal, fun and joyous dog. He was a rescue, so we don't know his full story/breed mix, but he came up via a foster organization from living in a barn in the US. He was probably a lab/spaniel mix of some kind. He came to our forever home when he was about a year old.

He absolutely loved playing ball. As one of our friends who regularly doggy-sat for him says, Griffin was an "Olympic level" ball fetcher. He would bring the ball right to you and nudge it with his nose right to your feet... then dance in eager anticipation of the next throw. Probably his favourite thing on earth was playing ball in the clearing in his favourite place -- our family cottage in Algonquin Park. At home, he would self-play on the stairs, nudging the ball off the top step, to chase it down, then bring it back up and repeat. He would do the same off our cottage dock, but didn't like the water much, so thought it was great fun to play chicken with the ball and nudge it repeatedly just to the dock's edge, grab it, pull it back, then eventually into the water and make us fetch his ball.

He brought joy everywhere he went. Our family and friends were always generous, and super happy to doggy-sit Griffin because he brought his special joy to their homes. He especially loved staying with his Nana.

Every professional who interacted with Griffin called him exceptional. This is from vets, technicians, veterinary physios (thank you SOAR for your exceptional care to maintain his quality of life in his last years), groomers, pet sitters, and the therapy dog program. Our groomer said Griffin was one of those dogs who 'just warm your soul differently'. They specifically made Griffin their first grooming appointment when they opened up after the COVID shutdowns. When he was assessed to become a therapy dog, he was so calm, gentle and loving, they allowed him to "skip levels". Normally dogs have to start in non-hospital settings to get accustomed and assessed further, but Griffin went straight to our local hospital to help bring some happiness to long-term patients. He won Therapy Dog of the Year. So even amongst the most gentle & loving dogs, Griffin stood out.

He was our beautiful boy with soft brown eyes. Every moment we had with him we will treasure. We were so lucky to have found him and have him enrich our lives. We are shattered, the hole in our lives he has left will never be filled, and we will never, ever forget him.

Three days after he passed, on my way to work I turned a corner and came across the most beautiful, close, and brightest rainbow I have ever seen. The attached picture doesn't do it justice. It was spectacular. I couldn't have asked for a clearer sign that he was okay and loved us. He has crossed the rainbow bridge and is happy.

UPDATE: On Oct 15, 2023, exactly one year after his passing, my wife was driving and came across ANOTHER rainbow. We have not seen a rainbow since the one right after his passing.

Rest in peace Zoobies.