Thank you, Ali! I value and appreciate your support and insight. I am in the process of writing a book on not only the loss of Tovi, but then my complicated journey with my “new dog.” I don’t have any hopes of it being published, although perhaps some day, but it is a story I need to get out.

You are so thoughtful to ask — he loved hiking. He would whimper when we approached ANY trail. His instincts were so superb. Even if it was a new trail to him, he just knew it was coming up. I loved hiking with him and watching his joy as he walked through the terrain. I’ll always remember our last hike, only a few weeks before this ordeal began. It was hard to reconcile that a dog who hiked 5 miles the weekend before he was diagnosed with liver cancer showed no symptoms and still had so much energy (so I thought). I often think he didn’t want to disappoint me so he kept up. Sadly, I never saw him aging, even though he was 12. He was used to his lifestyle and always incredibly healthy for his age, so this all came as a shock.

What was your favorite thing about your soul dog’s most favorite thing to do? xoxo