At 5:30 pm on June 9th, 2023, we lost our beloved senior beagle, Goldie, when her heart and kidney failure became too severe. She was euthanized by one of the regular vets in the office. Once she was no longer interested in walks and eating, we knew. The house feels too quiet and empty. This has hit us harder than anticipated, likely because until two years ago, Goldie was my wife Terri's mother's dog for over 11 years. Terri's mom, Ruth, adopted Goldie from a foster family that took her in after staff from the US Fish and Wildlife Service rescued her from the Ringold section of the Saddle Mountain National Wildlife Refuge along the Columbia River near the Tri-Cities of eastern WA state in 2010. Ruth and Goldie both passed within about a month of one another. Our hearts are heavy. We took over care for Goldie in May 2021 after Terri's mom, Ruth went into memory care and could no longer care for her. Six months later, Goldie was diagnosed with left side heart failure and kidney disease. She did well on her 3 meds twice a day, and it was a key part of our daily routine, as well as the wonderful dog sitters that cared for her when we traveled. When we came back from Europe on Easter evening this year, we noticed she wasn't as lively as she normally was. It turned out the right side of her heart had failed, too, and was sending the excess fluid to her abdoment and chest. She had 500cc drained from her in late April. By early June, she had retained that much or more, and her coughing from the pressure was almost constant, she had trouble getting up and down, and had lost most of her appetite. It was time to end her time with us. Just before Goldie went to sleep for the last time, I told her to go find Terri's mom because she would have lots of kibbles for her; they'd go on long walks, and she wouldn't cough any more. RIP Goldie.

Terri's mom's memorial service was July 22, 2023 and per wishes, her ashes were scattered from a friend's boat in the Columbia River. My wife and her sisters were on the boat, and she scattered the last of Goldie's ashes, too, and told me that her ashes mingled in the wake with Terri's mom's, so the two were physically together again.