Dear Readers,

This is the letter I have been dreading writing for more than ten years. Yesterday, sweet little Lina left us to be with God and joined the other angels in heaven. It was time as she was failing and often struggling for breath due to her nasal cancer. Although I knew this day would come, I am utterly broken. She truly was the perfect pup — so gentle, loving, loyal, obedient, willing to please, smart, beautiful and sometimes even sassy! I can’t quite grasp that she is gone. To me she was pure love and pure joy.

This morning, the silence in the house is deafening, and I look for her in all the usual places. I picture her in the kitchen looking for any little morsel of food on the floor or at me with those pleading eyes begging for yet another treat. I feel she was giving me a sign yesterday when after she ate her dog food a little slowly, she did not wait around for her “after treats” which were her chemo and other pills rolled in ham, the favorite part of her meal. I picture her waiting for her morning walk, even when she had become really nervous about me touching her painfully swollen forehead while attaching her harness. It was another sign to me when, for the first time yesterday, she could not finish her walk due to breathing problems and I had to carry her partway home — something she did not like!

I picture her little shaggy butt racing around the corner of the house, bound up in her life jacket and headed for the pontoon or the paddle board. I picture her lying in one of her six beds scattered throughout the house, watching my every move and wondering, skeptically, what was next. I feel her looking at my back, impatient for me to get off the computer. And I just caught myself looking for her cute little mug in the front door waiting for me as I walked up the driveway.

But we did have our adventures! I will always remember our fun doing agility and even winning a few blue ribbons. Performing tricks and playing fetch. And oh how we loved our frequent paddle board rides in the summer with Lori and Erik, and our trips up north to the cabin, where she had another entire set of friends and admirers. Not to mention our time in Florida where Lina was teased mercilessly by the Norgaard boys! We did get one last pontoon ride in on Tuesday with friends, Rachel and Cathy. She was restless but still enjoyed cruising. And last month we got to celebrate her eleventh birthday, something I thought we’d never see.

I will also remember whisking her away when a visit with friends had gone on too long, and she gave me the look meaning “we’re done here, Momma.” We were a team.

Yesterday I took her for one last ride to Starbucks where she happily lapped up a puppuccino. I thought about a final board ride but got caught up in preparations and visits from friends. I only hope I have as many when my time comes. Which goes to say, everyone loved Lina. And I’m not exaggerating. More often than not, on walks in Florida or Minnesota, someone would stop us and say, “that is the cutest dog I’ve ever seen in my life.” I’ll never forget the time, when she was a puppy, a child about to get on our condo elevator spied her and yelled gleefully to friends, “Lina is on the elevator!!”

Many, many people will miss her including friends who came by yesterday – Becky, Erik, Angela, Cheryl, Susan and Lexi. Thank you. A special thanks to Talla and Ken who were with us throughout the painful goodbye. Also thank you to Dr. Tali from MNpets who facilitated Lina’s passing.

So, Dear Readers, we had a great ride. I was proud and happy to be Lina’s scribe for linasdogblog.com even if she often took me to task for my many foibles. We appreciated your readership and comments. I have included a last picture of Lina and Momma below.

Thanks for the memories, dear Lina.

With love and gratitude, Momma