Man’s (and Woman’s) Best Friend
Hi friends!
Life is funny sometimes. In my last post, I mentioned that June would be a bit frenzied much like May had been, and I certainly wasn’t off the mark. It has been another one of those crazy roller coaster months. Just when you think life might start getting back to normal after some of the madness, it had a few more curveballs in store for us. I am looking forward to the second half of 2012 that begins on Sunday. (You all know how I always love to turn to a squeaky clean calendar page at the beginning of each month!) I had high hopes for 2012 – and would like to take a mulligan on the first half and use the second half as a do-over!
So before I turn that page, I’m going to interrupt ‘regular programming’ here on the blog…
If you have been a regular reader of FitFeat from the early days or you know us personally, then you know that our dogs are basically our ‘kids’. They have been a huge part of Cory’s and my life pretty much from the beginning of our relationship. We adopted Riley (our Weimaraner) the first year we were together way back in 2000 and then adopted Rascal (our MinPin) right after we got married in 2002. As such, the dogs are just naturally a part of the ‘fit adventures’ I write about here at FitFeat. (Ah, the Cone of Shame post – good times!) So it only seems fitting that I dedicate a little post to our sweet girl, Riley, with a spirit that was ultimately stronger than her physical body. That darn body gave out on her in the final hours of June 23 and due to the emergency nature of what happened, we had to let her go.
It’s been a long week filled with tears. I won’t kid you – it’s been one of the saddest times of my life. But we’ve also had a few smiles and laughs through those tears as we remember some of her silliest moments and cute (or annoying!) habits. After she survived cancer years ago, we often felt lucky that she woke up each day, especially during this past year as she faced some new physical challenges. She was a tough, proud and insanely upbeat dog and we loved her as much as I think one being can love another. We are so grateful for the time we had with her.
Cory and I met Riley at the Denver Dumb Friends League where she stole our hearts and there was no question that we wanted to be her new family. We’ve always been very strong believers in adopting pets that need a home – it’s astounding how many shelter animals there are. According to the Humane Society, it’s estimated that annually 6 to 8 MILLION dogs and cats enter shelters. And about half of those are euthanized due to overpopulation. That’s 3 to 4 MILLION. Heartbreaking. If you ever find yourself looking to add a little more love to your life, please consider adopting a pet from your local shelter before exploring other options.
Riley would be pleased to know it. 
So today, in honor of the cutie patootie that she was, a few of her guest starring moments on the blog:
