Toby is Gone

Our dear friend and companion, Toby has been gone for several months. He only made it a few days before Easter. The tears of my wife and mine as well have subsided. Our memories are sweet of this blessing from God.

Toby's bone cancer spread quickly and became very painful for him. We loved him too much to let him suffer needlessly. Rose Ann and I stayed with Toby has the vet gave him "the shot". We pet him while he pay on his side, and we continued petting him with all the love we had for him as he peacefully passed from this life into eternity.

We loved this dog so much, I could not bear the tough of have him cremated. We decided to have hm buried in a local pet cemetery. We held a short good bye with a few close friends and said our final farewell as his casket was covered.

We know where is body is, and we have gone to cry and remember. We also know that only his body is buried there. Everything that made Toby, Toby, has returned to God. Yes we fully believe that there are animals in heaven. Nowhere does the Bible say they are not there.

I pray several things. First that someday I will see him healthy again as I enter eternity. That he greets me as I enter my eternal life and says he has been waiting for me and wants to play. Second, that I can leave this world as peaceful and surrounded by those who love me.

Rose Ann and I missed the presence of a dog in the house so much we both agreed we needed to look for another dog. No dog can or will replace Toby, but we can love once again and do our best to provide a good home for a needy dog. It took two months but we found Ike, a Golden Retriever at Dirks Fund Golden Retriever Rescue. Ike is around 4 years old, was abused and sick, but a gentle personality showed through.

We have had Ike for a bit over a month, and he is healthier and still a gentle little boy. We are taking him through obedience training for bonding and safety and he is doing well. He definately has some issues with storms, but we will work through those.