More Puppy: Puppy

Boru and DianneUnless someone responds to my "last call" below, this is the final dedicated guest puppy post for the time being.  My plan is to do a post on my own dear late puppy Jessie (I can't help noticing how many people sent, including today's puppy, tributes to pets who have moved on, and it's inspired me), followed by pets who like to sleep covered up (Ella's specialty, but wait till you see the others I've gathered) followed by More Kitty.  

Appropriately, this last puppy, though his name was really Boru, went by the nickname "puppy."  Many thanks to Dianne Greenlay for sending this story.

Dianne writes, "Hi Catherine, I just finished catching up on your most recent posts...I wanted to write and tell you what an adorable little Ella you have! She looks like a gift from the faeries - all wispy-haired and bright eyed! I read about your invitation to submit other puppy stories and so I am taking you up on that. 

"For the past 9 1/2 years I have had a BIG Puppy. Named "Boru" (after the famous Irish King Brian Boru) by his breeder, he was a purebred Irish Wolfhound, and already knew his name by the time I brought him home. However, my daughter took to calling him "Puppy"  and soon, the only time he got "Boru" was when he was in trouble. :-)  He was a quiet, loving dog and loved everybody and everything; he romped with the deer on the prairies and cuddled with the cats in front of the fireplace. He had his own set of "groupies", as a dozen elementaryBoru at Hoopla school children made stopping by to give him a hug, a daily occurence on their way to school. He was our high school's 'live' mascot, complete with his own jersey, and received special permission to be present in the gym at provincial final games.

"Our family has shared our home with a large assortment of pets over the years ( guinea pigs, hamster, white rat, fish, a potbellied pig named Pieffer Pig, and a Great Dane, as well as an ongoing consortium of cats) but Puppy was, by far, the most loved and the most missed (all 202 pounds of him). Last fall he developed bone cancer ( the breed is prone to that) and he deterior- ated to the point that he was in constant pain and required full assistance just to get up from lying down. On a sunny fall day, our vet came to our home and euthanized him. It was the last thing I could do for my gentle giant. 

"Thanks for the opportunity to share a remembrance of him." 

The pleasure was all mine, Dianne, and now...here it is: Last call.  Anybody have puppy pics/stories to send?  Speak now or wait until the blog cycles around to puppies again.