A Friend Passes

We are saddened to announce to passing of Smokey, the Pit Bull family member of our colleague and fellow blogger Jeni McNamara, a champion of Pit Bulls and shelter dogs everywhere. On her current blog, In the Shelter of your Heart, she tells us:

"Today, we took him to our veterinary clinic. We knew what we had to do. Casey spent the morning reading to him, her reading buddy to the last day. She told him good bye, and to be happy, after today there would be no more pain. Clint and I went with him to the clinic. We were with him to the last minute. To see him relax, stretch out, and rest with us with out pain, it made our decision no easier, but somehow less tragic for me. The tragedy would have been to watch him suffer on, make him suffer on."

We first learned on Smokey on her November 18 blog post:

"November is Adopt a Senior Pet month! I love my senior dog Smokey. He's well trained, and settled in. When we feel like going for a walk or out to play, he's ready to go. When it's time to tuck in and watch our favorite movies, he's the first under the covers to cuddle.

He's just turned 9 years old this month. Displaced when his original (and previously only) family had to relocate, Smokey didn't like shelter life.

It was loud, not like his quiet home.

There were strangers every where, he didn't know where his family went.

His favorite spot at the end of the bed was gone, he was sleeping on the floor.

No toys of his own, and there were the volunteers at the shelter wanted to but couldn't play with just him every day, there were so many dogs to help.

He just need to go home."

Our hearts go out to Jeni and her family and for memory of Smokey. To learn more about Smokey and the other dogs she has fought for please visit her site at http://shelteroftheheart.blogspot.com.