Yes, new dog, gnu. Thanks for asking - I think it is easier to write about it than to talk of it; I still bleed about it when I speak of my Meggie.

I knew there was something wrong but silly me, I thought it was her feet that had taken a beating from wintertime's ice-combatting salt concoctions. But it was cancer, which hadn't even occurred to me.

In her first home they had discovered that she had a hole in her chest wall that had allowed part of her liver to migrate into the heart cavity. They think that is probably what turned cancerous.

She was only 9 years old.

I now have another 'rescue' dog. Of all things, he is a Chinese Crested Hairless; I can't imagine why anyone would bring a dog of that breed into this cold climate. He wears a sweater indoors and an overcoat when he's out and about. This winter he probably won't be out much at all. But he is very sweet and is learning fast. He is only 2 years old; what made him unadoptable was the expensive major surgery he had to have on 'bilateral luxating patellae'.

Anyway the the surgery is two weeks past now and he is doing well.

Main problem is that he has a severe case of separation anxiety. If anyone has a surefire way of getting a dog past that miserable emotion I would appreciate it!