When you came to live with me you were six-months old and a real pain in the neck. You chewed up the carpet, the bookcase and my new sneakers. But you were beautiful and full of life and just what I needed to fill the void in my life from the loss of both my parents and the loss of my previous dog, Lady, all within the space of a year. Even after I got married you were my dog. She had the cats but I had you and we went on long walks every morning and runs too and those moments it was a boy and his dog even if the boy was approaching and then passing fifty. But you were aging too and this year it all caught up with you; anterior cruciate tear, arthritic hips, swollen prostate and finally bladder cancer.
Oh Karl, my friend, my buddy, my running partner, my little guy, thank you for your unconditional gift of love and loyalty. Thank you for your exuberance and forgiveness. Forgive those times when I was less than the ideal master. I miss you so much and I will never forget you.