Asty (Asterix) was the first and oldest of our 3 dogs, as well as the last to leave us at 13 years old. I often think of him as a monk, because he has gone through the first half of his life being bullied by his two dog brothers (Archie and Arthur), but he came out of it calm, peaceful, tolerant to adversity, and still mostly joyful. His interest in playtime decreases steadily throughout his lifetime due to his brothers and due to long term Arthritis. However, he was able to cope with everything around him because his one true passion in life - food! Asty was fed well - a little too well, he was overweight - but he always loved food and always looking at us intensely for his favorite snack: bread. We could never escape his hungry/angry glares when it was nearing lunch or dinner time. When he was hungry, his eyes and facial expressions were super animated, like what you would see in comic books. Even in his final moments at the vet he was alert enough to eat a handful of cookies - even after a round of sedation. We used to joke about his love for food surpassing his love for anything or anyone else, but now I am sure we will miss it dearly. Overall, Asty had a good life but a painful second half because of his Arthritis and other health complication. He faced a lot of suffering on his last few days, but we are so lucky that he seemed to get a lot better on his last night with us. We are glad that he went out with a little less suffering. We will never forget you, Asty, and all that you have done for us and your brothers and what you signify in terms of being our first pet. June 18, 2006 - August 7, 2019 - Mom, Dad, Abhishek, Abhijit