Sox

Not long after we got married, Andy started talking about getting a dog.  I grew up with dogs on our farm and was ambivalent (at best) about dogs.  I'm was fine with them if they didn't come in the house and they didn't bother me.  So...not much of a dog person!  Living in Phoenix, an outside dog was not an option.  I thought we could get a little dog that didn't shed.  Andy was thinking a big dog.  I remember saying something about how he could get a big dog if he could find one that didn't shed.  Next thing I knew, he was sending me pictures of Goldendoodles and Labradoodles.  They were SO cute and didn't really shed.  We settled on a red Goldendoodle and Andy named her Sox.  He is a White Sox fan and she had a white foot.

Sox was such a good dog.  She was so gentle with all three of our kids.  She let them climb all over her and she never seemed to mind.  She and I walked many miles together over the years.  And she walked a lot of miles with my Mom, Drew and Kayley in Phoenix.  She never met a stranger and was very excited (sometimes a little too) whenever anyone came to the house.

Kayley is an animal lover and she and Sox became pretty close over the last few years.  Kayley was always willing to pet Sox and took Sox on walks as soon as she got home from school each day.

But, in the end, Sox was Andy's dog.  She was never more than 5 feet away from him when Andy was home.  She followed Andy everywhere and Andy loved it.

We found out Sox had a large tumor on her spleen a few days before Christmas.  She had her spleen removed and the test results came back showing cancer.  Our vet said she may make it a few days to two months.  We were devastated.  She was getting old (12), but we had no idea she had cancer so it was all very sudden and shocking.  We both agreed we didn't want her to suffer and that when the time came, we would take away her pain.  That day came on January 24th.  It was heartbreaking, but you take comforting knowing she lived a good life and she made our life better by being in it.