Lulu was born somewhere on the American/Mexican border in the most beautiful little old mining town- Bisbee. She was a discarded desert dog who somehow made her way to the Bisbee Animal Shelter...covered in tumors, with broken teeth, and a belly full of trash. Lulu needed extensive medical care so after she received surgery I took her home with me as a medical foster. That was exactly two years ago tomorrow, on August 20th 2022. I didn't know it at the time, but Lulu was already a senior dog. She had a puppy spirit and was smaller than most labs....and she never stopped acting like a mischievous little puppy until her last days with me here in the physical world. While I thought I would have a lot more than 2 years, I told myself I would give Lulu the best life after all the suffering, abuse, and neglect she had endured. It never broke her spirit because she was the most loving dog I have ever met...and I've met and and fostered SO MANY dogs. Lulu slept next to me (touching me actually) every night, she always wanted to cuddle, she was a relentless paw giver, licker, and could play fetch for hours. We went on so many adventures and Lulu was always agreeable to my overambitious plans. She ate Thanksgiving dinner at the top of Cathedral Rock in Sedona at sunset, Lulu did zoomies at the Shady Dell and got the cooks at Dot's Diner to feed her bacon in Bisbee, she played on the dog beach in San Diego, she felt -40 degrees in a Chicago winter storm, she frolicked through wildflowers during golden hour near the border of Canada, she saw the Grand Canyon, was in a parade and slept in an airstream in Saguaro National Park, she ate a corndog at the birthplace of the Corndog in Oregon, she rode the ferry in Seattle, she played on the ski hill in Leavenworth...she saw New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, the lights of Las Vegas, and the quiet beaches of Puerto Penasco Mexico. Her last weekend on Earth was spent camping in a yurt in the Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho- playing in beaver ponds and sunbathing on riverbanks. She had so many friends- animals and humans alike. When we were home in Central Washington, she went to work with me every day at the American Red Cross, where she comforted victims of disaster and brought a smile to blood donors, staff, and volunteers. She chased javelinas, rooted around for snakes, was a countersurfer, an escape artist, and an attention hog. But she loved so much and so hard. She deserved so much and I'm so happy I was able to give that to her for a short time. It wasn't ever easy- we overcame so much together...and it's still so painful that her brother, Patches, and I have to move forward with just her memory. Lulu developed a fast growing tumor in April and passed on to the spirit world by July. WSU and I fought so hard for her, she fought too. I thought we would somehow be a miracle case because Lulu had spent her whole life fighting and always won. But I would like to think that she felt like she had lived enough in the last two years to last a lifetime.. I know she's waiting for me and I can't wait to see her again soon. I love her so much, and her spirit is so alive each day- it's just like her to let herself CONSTANTLY be known =) my bisbee baby, desert dog, devil dog, angel baby... I miss you. Thank you WSU for the best Spring we could've had- I owe that to Dr. Soles and her team and I will never forget them. XOXO