My husband had went to the Animal Rescue League to look at animals because we happened to be near there. We had just lost Kato and I didn't want another dog. But fate had another dog waiting for me, without my knowledge. As we walked in, a number of dogs looked hoping they might be going home with us. As we walked along the cages watching others patting ones that were let out, we spotted this one and half year old shepherd. He was so beautiful and his ears stood up straight. He was frisky. I looked at my husband but he wanted a puppy. When we heard he could be put down in a week if no one took him home, then I knew we had to take him.

We asked if we could take him outside, around the grounds. He was hard to hold as he wanted to run. Again, my husband thought it would be too much for us with a dog already trained by someone else. Somehow, the dog managed to gain his love and we walked back in signing papers. They called our vet to make sure we were good people and had a fenced in yard. He had all his shorts.

Once the papers were in our hands, we headed for the car, us in the front and Spike in the back. Now, Spike didn't want to stay in the back. He tried to get into the front seat between the two of us. Can you imagine a l00 lb. give or take, German shepherd sitting in between two adults and one trying to drive. I had all I could do to try and hold him bac,. for the half hour ride back to our house.

Once home I went to the store and got him dog food, cookies and toys. I was so excited to get back to him. I missed Kato but somehow Spike took my mind off of him for a little while.

Days passed and Spike wanted to bite fingers playing. I took his collar and led him from the front room to the kitchen and back again telling him we were going for a walk. After several times of doing this Spike decided he had better stop, as he was tired of taking short walks.

He loved to run in the snow and play. One day he managed to locate an old broom in the yard and he kept running with it, knocking it here and there. I managed to get a video of it and it makes me laugh. When we used to play ball he would catch it and run with it and you had to open his mouth to pry it open. He loved tug of war with his rope toy and he was quite strong and most of the time won.

Years passed and he started to age, but was still active. Then one day it happened, he turned l3 and we noticed the weakness in his hip and legs. He managed to hold on till he was l4 and one week old, and then it happened. He could no longer manage to get up, even with help. He only ate half of his meal, but still ate his cookies. I spent the night with him, as he lifted his head above the floor and then down again, into cap naps.

The next day he managed to have a few cookies. When the time came to take him to the vet, we put a rug and comforter in my son's SUV, and my son carried him out to the car and laid him gently on it. As we road to the vet, I felt this was the last time he would ride in a car, which he loved. He tried to lift his head to look out but could not get it up that far.

When we got to the vet and the papers were filled out I went to get my son and he gently picked Spike up and took him inside and laid him gently on the table. Spike didn't move, just laid there, which was not like him. The vet shaved his paw, as I told Spike I loved him and he would soon not feel any pain anymore, and then he was gone, within minutes. The vet left the room and we stood there, my husband, son and me patting him with tears in our eyes. When I left to go to the car I cried an ocean.

I am so happy that Spike did not have any pain, he never cried out and he ate and drank till the end. I can't explain how in the morning he went outside three times walking and in the afternoon he could not walk. It happened so quickly and the vet has no explanation either.

Spike was not one for pain and if he had it he would let you know by crying out. Once he tried to climb a tree and he hurt his paw and you would think we were hurting him, the way he wined. He was a beautiful shepherd and will be missed greatly.

There are times we feel he is still with us, as we step over where he laid, trying not to step on him, or look into the yard where he played with his toys. We only had him twelve and half years, because he was one and half that we got him, but if we didn't take him he would never have the life he did with us. They would have put him to sleep. I am so grateful we found him that day and took him home with us because he filled our lives with happiness and now that he is gone, only sadness remains.