Josie lived with me for almost seven years. While it seemed like a lifetime with all our adventures, when she died I recall feeling like she had just moved in a few years back. Where did the time go? In July 2011 I crossed paths with Josie at Adopt-A-Pet, a private rescue organization in Shelton, WA. They obtained her through owner surrender; she had been subject to a backyard breeding operation in rural Mason County, or so it seemed, as she didn’t know any basic commands when we first met and Adopt-A-Pet had to rehab her for a couple months prior to putting her up for adoption. While the first portion of her life was most likely terribly unpleasant, her last with me was hopefully much better. Over the years Josie had her share of medical problems but she put up with numerous trips to the vet, therapies like cold laser treatments for her arthritis, and as a result enjoyed some life changing successes. Josie trusted her caregivers to the very end. However, on Mother’s Day 2018, after a two month battle with lymphoma, she died peacefully at home in her favorite spot next to the woodstove. Some of our adventures, like the long road trips in the noisy, clunky ’95 Euro Van Pop-top taxed her patience but she was always “ready to go” when I starting packing the beast up for the next road trip. Our three week long Northern California road trips in 2012 and 2013 were the most memorable. We struggled for years looking for a rural piece of property to have a house built on. After finding a five acre lot in 2015, we lived in a 8x12 shed on the property for 14 months while the house was being built. While the effort was challenging, once we moved in to the new home there was a renewed sense of peace for us both. Up until the last few months of her life, Josie went walking with me daily. Like many, we had our favorite walking routes where other folks like us socialized with our pets. She was always a well behaved happy girl, or so people said. Her presence frequently evoked positive emotional comments from others. Her life was in part a testament to private shelters like Adopt-A-Pet that take on challenging cases and, with modest resources, give animals like her a second chance at finding their forever home. Over the years Josie was seen on three different occasions at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Pullman. The care she received there was of the highest standards. Everyone at VTH was focused on providing the best possible care for her while assisting the caregiver with his responsibilities. This level of commitment that every VTH team member has to their organization is a fundamental hallmark of the outstanding institution that it is.