A few things happened the week after Max passed. At first they seemed too strange to acknowledge, but now I find myself looking back to them for hope/meaning.

The night Max passed, his aunt T had seen 3 shooting stars just minutes before I called to give her the news. Max had 3 surviving brothers.

The morning of the funeral, a white homing pidgeon landed beside Max's grave. We had never seen any pidgeons before in the area, nor have we since. The pidgeon landed there, just a few feet away from Max's 3 brothers who were attending the funeral. The brother dogs did not move.

Seven days after Max's passing, we found 2 black labx puppies on the side of Highway 174. We brought them home, nursed them back to health, and tried to find them homes. We did not feel ready for new pups, but they were stuck with us.

Since then it has been a struggle raising the 2 pups and keeping the brothers emotionally well. Max, you were such a sweet boy. We always knew you to be a lover-dog with a heart of gold, but didn't realize how extraordinary you truly were.

The pups, Henry & George are scaredy-dogs & have severe hip dysplasia. We are considering total hip replacement for Henry. Nolan (a rottieX) has reached maturity and is challenging Parker (german shepardX) for control over the pups. We've had a couple of serious dog fights. Both are receiving rehab discipline.

I've had to do alot of reassessment on how to raise a dog family. Turns out love isn't enough, guidance and determination is also needed. Self-discipline is required of me in how your brothers & I interact. Oddly enough it never seemed this tough when you, Max, were still around.

It would be so easy to give up. But we're all in this together. We all hurt from Max's passing - even the pups sense the cloud of sorrow. I must pull us through this, just as a little black fluffy pup named Max, once pulled me out of my past sorrows.