When I was in college, we went through a bad period during which we lost our old dog to cancer, our cat was going downhill, and we lost a rescued dog to a botched heartworm treatment.

Ootek was cremated and scattered in the Rocky Mountains (it didn't seem right to make a spitz spend eternity in the heat of the Gulf Coast). Razz's ashes are in a little box in the den; we thought about burying her but we'd hate to move and leave her behind. When Finn didn't make it, we couldn't afford to have him cremated, too, so we let the vet send him off for mass cremation. I don't even have a picture of him because my parents were hoping to take one when he was healthier and looked better. I've never forgiven myself for letting him go like that. He was such a nice dog and so badly neglected all his life that it just seems unpardonable that we don't have anything at all left of him.

I work for a vet and there are a lot of animals who don't get the love they need. I'm glad Ziggy had someone who valued him so much.