Tami,
I'm sorry I'm just getting to this post today (had my own issues this week) but you can count on big hugs from further down in southern Maine. I owe you a real one next time I see you.
I still get weepy when I think of Kendall's yellow dog, Clancy. They are magnificent creatures. How lucky we are to know them, even if it is for too short a time. Cherish the memories.