We lost our lovely special soul, Jagger, yesterday.

[cilla4progress]

He was only 8. Best we can tell he developed a fast-moving lymphoma in Feb-March. He was ravenous (broke into cat, dog food storage); he lost his eyesight; became lethargic - this former canine athlete; finally, in the past couple days he - very uncharacteristically - became destructive when left alone at home for a few hours. No permanent damage - not Jagger's style. A lover not a fighter.

We got Jagger off Craigslist in 2018. For a couple of senior citizens, it was a crazy stupid decision! We would be traveling to France in a couple months (a rare event for us - international travel). We had been dogless for almost a year after the passing of our prior dog at age 12. Were giving dog-free life a try. Turned out it's not us.

So, as one does, we began looking for a dog a couple months ahead of our trip, figuring it would take time. When I saw Jagger on Craigslist, full-on smile up into the camera...eyes and all...I immediately sent it to my husband, the brakes in our relationship (I'm the accelerator). But he, too, was instantly captivated. When we learned Jagger's back story, we were even more drawn. He had been living on a chain on a mountainside nearby. Yet, he held no bitterness or anger. He was so elated to join us on our small ranch - 2 active empty nesters. His first week with us, he and my husband went on a 19-mile hike (yes, in one day!). That sealed it.

Jagger never went after our chickens or cats. He learned to be a good trail dog with our little horse group. He came, sat, lay down - no one ever taught him. He just understood. All he wanted was to please and love - and guard - us. And that he did. Very, very well.

I really hope my extreme grief starts to lift. Right now it's debilitating. Any suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks for letting me share. 😢