Sad day for the Labbe-Renaults

There is a hole in our hearts today, and it's in the shape of a crazy quilt of a dog with curious ice-blue eyes. We said good-bye this evening to Baloo, our beautiful furry Australian Shepherd kid. He turned 13 last month and has been on a slow slide downhill since. We were waiting for the moment to be "right," and for him to let us know, and today he did. We give our heartfelt thanks to Dr. Ramona Simko for her incredible care Baloo's whole life, but especially these later years. The acupuncture and herbs greatly increased his quality of life. And to Dr. Tobie Faith, who showed up today in our need and helped Baloo transition. We can never thank you enough.

Many of you who knew Craig and I "back when" might remember that we brought home Baloo as an 8-week old pup, with the conscious intention of seeing if we would be good parents. :) The universe clearly decided we would be and blessed us with three children, as well as an assortment of beings that meow, swim, crawl and slither, to keep Baloo company.

So dear Baloo, it has been a grand life, and a great ride. What will we do without you herding us from room to room? We will remember puppy days at the dog park, camping trips, howl-alongs with the harmonica, your tendency to use your nose as a snow plow in fresh powder, long walks, and an effervescent, ever-present goofy grin that let us know you loved life, and loved us.

Thank you for being such a huge part of our lives. We will miss you terribly.