My husband Ryan and I adopted our beloved beagle, Lily, when she was 2 years old from the WSU VMTH. She was involved in a nutrition study and when she became ill with IBD she was put up for adoption. My husband and I were both second year vet students at the time. I'll never forget the first time I saw her in the wards at the hospital. She was hiding near the back of her run, terrified of everyone that walked past. Her illness had left her very thin. I immediately called Ryan and we decided to adopt her. The first year was such a learning curve for her and for us- she was initially afraid to walk on grass, she wasn't house trained and she remained very afraid of everyone except us. We quickly learned that food was the way to her little beagle heart. We adopted her sister "Kaya", a big pit bull puppy, from the Spokane shelter a few months later and they became the best of friends. Kaya showed Lily how to be a dog and helped her come out of her shell. She loved going on hikes, romping on the beach, snuggling with her sister, and cuddling with us on the couch. She was the sweetest little soul in the world. She helped raise 4 kittens and 4 chicks, and she babysat 2 prairie dogs. She traveled with us all over the country and she won over perfect strangers everywhere we went with her sweet beagle face and happy smile. Lily was not the smartest pup in the world but she was the kindest. I continue to think of her as my heart. She was epileptic and hypothyroid and she had 2 disc surgeries and one CCL surgery over the years. She developed IMHA 3 months before she turned 15 and then 2 months later she went into kidney failure. She was a tough girl but it was time to let her go. She had lived a wonderful life and we couldn't bear to see her suffering. If I could have kept her with me forever I would have. We were so amazingly lucky to have shared 13 years with Lily. I am so grateful to WSU for letting us adopt her. We miss her every single day.

Creslin and Ryan S.