Shadow and Firey Jo (whom she adored like a sister) graced our home with their presence courtesy of Lab Rescue of the Potomac in early 2005. Shadow was a silly, snorty lab on the outside and a sensitive, wonderful soul on the inside. She would chase tennis balls until near exhaustion if allowed. She was a mother hen to our whole family, even the kitties. Not terribly long after an adventurous cross-country move, we were alarmed to see this robust girl become ill. She always seemed younger than her actual years, so we assumed we still had several good years ahead with her. Her final months were a roller coaster of good days/weeks and bad ones. Pulmonary fibrosis finally claimed her as she lay on the kitchen floor with us comforting her as best we could. As a side note, I had sworn I would not add another dog to the house anytime soon after she passed. However, she had been such a strong vivacious presence that our household seemed empty. We ended up adopting another lab less than two weeks later.

Kevin and Cynthia F.