Mary and I said goodbye to an old friend today. We had known him for over 14 years and the parting has been very difficult for me. My wife once told me that our friend had an ability to wrap himself around a persons' heart, this was indeed the case with me. This friend is also known as "mans best friend", but Dusty was almost everyone's friend. It has taken me over four days to sit and write this short story because the tears just won't stop welling up in my eyes. We made the decision to end his life on March 5, 2001, I pray that he is running in heaven where this dog certainly deserves to be.

Dusty was a pure bred Mutt, from the best breeding lines of the streets of Lawrence Massachusetts, I am certain. He was a cross between a poodle, cocker spaniel, and something else that has yet to be determined, that is a mystery only God can reveal. Being a person who values ALL life, the decision to put an end to his suffering took almost four days. Over the past two to three months Dusty had developed canine diabetes along with cataracts in both eyes. He had also begun to loose some control of his bodily functions, something we never had to worry about, ever. Since the first day we had this dog, he seemed to thanks us every day for the life we had saved him from. More importantly, he devoted his life to being a good and faithful pet and just the best canine companion a human could ask for.

My wife Mary had come to see me at my office when I was working as the Assistant Controller for the City of Lawrence, in Massachusetts. Mary came to inform me that she had seen a dog at the Lawrence Dog Pound that might be a perfect companion for our first dog, a pure bred cocker spaniel named Jasper. We had spoken about the possibility of getting Jasper a companion so perhaps he wouldn't be so destructive when we went out and left him alone, it seemed like a good idea. Mary described Dusty as a little dog and that he seemed to bond with her when she saw him at the dog pound. I decided for the sake of my sanity and marriage, I had better at least take a look and try to keep an open mind. You see, Mary is very persistent when it comes to matters such as these.

When I arrived at the pound amidst the barking and yelping of over two dozen dogs, some destined to be destroyed and others being held for possible adoption, I realized that it would be almost impossible to leave there without rescuing one of these poor creatures. We were met by the dog officer who happened to grow up in the same neighborhood as I did when I was a child. Janice proceeded to tell us the rather sad stories of some of the animals that were there and the City's policy for the length of time they held strays that were rounded up by the dog officer. We were finally led to the small holding cage that Dusty had been sitting in.

Janice, the animal control officer proceeded to tell us the story behind this little dog with all the fur and the terrible under bite. We were told that Dusty had been one of her most elusive targets. She informed us that Dusty, despite her best and steadfast efforts had eluded her for almost eight months. The eight months included the winter we had just experienced, you see it was spring in New England and it is the time of year when everything looks dirty, including that little dog in the cage. The snow was no longer white, having taken on a wonderful shade of gray that is only found in New England. The trees were still barren and the days remain just cold enough to remind you that there still might be one more snowstorm before winter calls it quits for another year.

It seems Dusty had not only survived the winter, but survived living on one of the busiest two lane roads in the city. Water Street is just like any street in Anytown, U.S.A, the speed limit reads 35 miles per hour, but the average speed is somewhere around 50. I was very familiar with this street, as a kid my brothers and I were routinely dropped off at the Boys Club that used to be in that area of town. It was a busy street for pedestrians; it could have been deadly for a 12-pound dog. Somehow, this dog had the smarts and resources to survive and live to be caught by the dogcatcher. According to Janice, what really did him in was hunger. After chasing him for eight months with a net and snare, Dusty was finally caught with nothing but a hamburger. What he ate to survive as long as he did, we will never know. Perhaps some kind soul was feeding him scraps or he was raiding garbage cans when able.

It was clear to see that there was no mistaken the look of an animal who did not have a tremendous amount of trust in humans. He was very reluctant to come out of his cage, but he was sure happy to see Mary. Finally his defenses eased enough for Mary to begin to pet him and show him some attention and love; he must have remembered her first visit. It would not take any convincing from me for Mary to take this animal home, she was sold. Me, on the other hand, saw that dog with about a years worth of fur growth and matted clumps of fur all over the place, combined with an under bite that would make an Orthodontist shiver. The dental problems made it looked like he was showing his teeth all the time. He may have been showing his teeth, but there was no growl under that menacing look. This dog was not a pretty picture, the normal color of his fur was supposed to be white. It was that lovely shade of gray described above; this dog was going to be a project.

Since Mary was convinced this was the perfect match for us and would make a great addition to our family, I was not about to argue. Besides, he was starting to grow on me too, I had to give him credit for surviving as long as he did, and Dusty deserved a good home. Mary has always had great instincts when it comes to matters such as this; in hindsight it was indeed the correct decision. We filled out the necessary paperwork and we officially adopted this pathetic looking ball of fur with the bad under bite. Our first stop was to take him to the groom shop for a major overhaul and to see exactly what we had just gotten into. I was hoping that the groomer did not charge by the hour or this little trip to be beautified would be more costly than the dog himself. We were told to come back in two or three hours. I wondered as we were leaving if she meant to say days instead of hours, regardless, I am not sure how long we were gone but it was time to pick Dusty up. When we returned to pick him up, I was convinced they were trying to give us the wrong animal. The groomer looked exhausted; it must have been more than she bargained for.

What we had brought to be groomed had a circumference of about two feet. The dog we picked up had little spindly legs like a poodle and was about six inches around the middle of his stomach and you could actually see his big bug eyes now. What gave him away was the unmistakable under bite that was just one of the things that made this dog unique. The money spent for the grooming was well worth it; to say it was a transformation would be an understatement. He was actually kind of cute, if you could ignore the tooth sticking out all the time. No doubt about it, this was our new dog. The poor dog actually looked relieved to have been liberated from the mountain of fur and to be clean again.

Our next stop was home and to introduce him to his new companion Jasper. As usual, when we arrived home, there was something torn up or shredded in the house, it was Jasper's subtle way of letting us know he was unhappy about being left behind. The introduction of Dusty went off without a hitch, no growling, no fighting, and no contact at all. They simply turned their backs and ignored each other's existence. It was kind of comical at first; they would sit in the T.V. room and sit looking in opposite directions pretending the other did not exist. After a while they both warmed up to the idea that they were sharing top billing and also sharing our affections, jealousy was rampant.

We were certainly lucky with the dog. There was only one instance of destruction, and that was really minor and certainly didn't last long. Dusty fit in like he belonged there and like he lived there all his life. The adjustment took a little bit longer for Jasper; and from me for that matter. Instead of keeping an eye on only one dog now we had two. Two times the food, two times the messes in the yard, and two times the vet fees. No complaints though, we were rewarded many times over by his constant companionship, good nature and devotion.

The greatest benefactor of Dustys' love and devotion was Mary, hands down. Don't ask me how or why this dog knew who saved him from certain death on the city streets of Lawrence Mass. Wherever Mary went, the little white dog with the bad under bite was sure to follow. They were inseparable, like two peas in a pod. This dog owed Mary his life, and he spent all of his life, making sure Mary knew how much it was appreciated.

We were blessed to have this dog in our lives for 14 years. It is an amazing part of God's design for our lives here on Earth to be accompanied by what used to be wild animals. There was nothing wild about this dog, he had the sweetest disposition and got along with everybody. He was without a doubt, one of the family, and will be missed.

We said goodbye to a very good friend today, it was a bittersweet parting but one we knew we had to make. The memories of our friend are captured in many pictures, but mostly the memories are imprinted on our hearts forever until we are reunited again where good dogs run after they have left this earth. We thank God for the opportunity to care for him and the companionship that was never ending along with his unconditional love for us.