On Saturday, August 5th 2006, at 9pm EST, we lost our beloved dog, Bear, a german shepherd mutt. She was a significant and constant part of our life, a source of comfort and companionship, of unconditional love and acceptance, and of course of lots of fun and joy.

Bear died suddenly of bloat, a common killer of dogs. The emergency veterinary surgeon said she also had advanced liver cancer, which would have resulted in a slow painful death if she had survived the bloat surgery. We were with her, telling her she was a good dog and that we loved her, as they put her under the anesthetic from which she never woke up. She was 14 years old, an advanced age for a dog of her size.

Bear died in the Hamptons, Long Island, New York, on a day outing to the beach. She had some of her last hours relaxing and laying in the grass, smelling the odors that only a dog could love. It was a bright, sunny day, and it wasn't too hot.