Spaw, I empathize. We recently lost our Lucy, age four, to a surprise cardiac arrest on the vet's table. Doesn't matter how you lose them, it still hurts. Several died of old age, another hit by a car. Had to give one up for aggression, (to a pound) and one for housing circumstances, (to a good family). Took in a rescue dog last year, a pointer named Jack. GREAT dog. After a few months we had to part as neither our house nor yard can take a big dog for very long. Loved that dog. At least we were able to get him to one of those "no kill" shelters.

The world would be a more stable place if the dogs lived for eighty years, and the humans lived for fifteen!

Regards, BlueJay