I stood looking at all the yellow lab puppies and there were only 2 left. Another family had gotten there first and had already chosen the other yellow lab puppy that licked and wiggled and chewed and was healthy. The only yellow lab puppy that was left was the runt. She was small and not very active. She also had a hernia and the owner said he was going to kill her. I decided to take her home and see if she would live - if she stayed, she would be killed. She whimpered softly on the ride home. I stopped to get milk and puppy food for her. When I got her home, I dipped her nose in a bowl of milk and she backed away. When I brought her home that day, I didn't know she hadn't been weaned and had never eaten food. She learned quickly and grew even more quickly. She survived her first trial of the hernia operation and continued to grow and grow and grow. She slept with me at night and went everywhere with me during the day. Since she was raised with cats, Gracie learned cat language and social skills. Unfortunately, it didn't help when she met new dogs. One day, Gracie met Red, a reddish lab mixture, from down the street. They romped and played and became fast friends. Red looked at Gracie quizically and learned to ignore the catlike behaviors. Gracie loved riding in the van. Many hot summer nights we went for a ride in our van to cool off and enjoy the evening. Gracie continued to grow and spilled out of the captain's chair behind the driver's seat. Oftentimes, I could feel Gracie bracing herself against the driver's seat and hear her silently telling me to be more careful so she wouldn't tip out. As Gracie grew in size and age, her hip displasia became worse and the pain increased. When Gracie died, one of my best friends died. I know someday, when I cross the rainbow bridge, Gracie will be there - happy and running without pain.

Merrie G.