We adopted Sophie Jo from Dogs of the Gorge in Goldendale, Washington on New Year's Eve 2010. Her mother was a stray found in the hills of Klickitat County. Thankfully her mother was rescued shortly before delivering a large litter of black and brown lab mix pups. Sophie was just a wee pup at the time she joined our family. She brought so much joy into our lives. She was sweet and sensitive, and had a smile on her face at all times. She was the most happy-go-lucky dog we’ve had the pleasure of knowing. She loved playing with other dogs, particularly our old lab Chloe. Chloe was nine when Sophie came home, and Sophie's puppy exuberance added extra pep in Chloe’s step. The two became inseparable. Sophie was skilled at counter surfing. She never did it at our house, but wreaked havoc in my husband’s parent’s home. She ate an entire freshly baked apple pie, a large pan of homemade cinnamon rolls, the center of a Thanksgiving pumpkin pie, some taco salad, part of a roast, and a couple of homemade molasses cookies.

I've heard that Labrador Retrievers are water dogs. Although Sophie was a mix of 75% Labrador Retriever, she didn't have the desire to play in water. It took us a long time to get her acclimated to a kiddie pool. She eventually came to love a soak in a shallow pool, but never anything deeper than that. Her other breeds, according to a DNA test, were 12.5% German Shepherd and 12.5% Border Collie. Her favorite activity was trying to fit multiple tennis ball in her mouth at the same time. When she finally got two stacked in her mouth, she beamed with pride and eventually fell asleep with them there. After that, Sophie would regularly attempt to hold three tennis balls at once, but never mastered the skill. Her perseverance was admirable. Unfortunately, she passed away in July 2021 after a bout of pancreatitis, coupled with Cushing’s disease, was just too much for body to handle.