[Bill Murphy]

I was tempted to put this discussion about "bird dogs and retrievers in their final years" in the Off Topic subforum, but decided that it is not off topic at all. Our friend Rich Anderson is going through this bad time as we speak, according to his comments on the February at Drakes Landing thread. This morning, Linda's daughter and son in law, our neighbors of four country miles, couldn't wake their great old black Labrador. She finally came alive, but is finding standing almost impossible. They have the problem that Rich has, dogs without a human companion for certain hours of the day. I'm afraid that this is near the end for my friend, Saydee. I will spend time with her as needed because they both work day jobs, but the end is near. The Lovely Linda and I have gone through this in the past few years with a delightful female Springer and her just as wonderful son, who we put down at fourteen. It's just something we have to do when the time has come. We shouldn't stretch it out too much. If we need moral support, we have to ask for it.