Fergus came to us in 1999 and our lives were never the same. For a dog who had a rough beginning in life, he was the best dog we could have hoped for. He was the childhood dog for our boys, now 19 and 21, and gave us 12 years of love, amusement and adventure. Fergus loved everyone and had a very gentle soul.

In the early years, he enjoyed getting into mischief such as eating a pan of chocolate chip cookies which he knocked off the stove, snatching a cheeseburger out of the hands of my son and bolting out the door whenever he could to chase squirrels around the neighborhood. He loved playing in the backyard, going for walks, running at the dog park, eating treats, chasing critters and taking naps. Most of all, Fergus loved being with his "people". He loved being with us and always wanted to be in the center of everyone at family gatherings. He loved going for rides in the car with his head out the window and the wind in his face. Fergus was one of the happiest, most expressive dogs we have ever known.

Fergus began to slow down over the past year, showing signs of old age. One day, I came home from work to find him laying on the floor in distress and I knew something was terribly wrong. I called our vet and one of the "angel" techs came to help me get him into her car and transport him to the animal hospital. They kept him there to see if they could figure out what was wrong. Fergus wasn't responding to treatment so the vet took him home overnight to care for him, but Fergus didn't make it. He passed away peacefully in the early morning of January 19, 2012. The doctor believes he had a stroke.

We will never forget Fergus and will be forever grateful for the time we had with him. Rest in peace, my friend.

Lezlie and Tom H.