Never be forgotten

After a long battle, that none of us knew about, Pressley, our sweet, 4 yr. old Golden Retriever is no longer with us. Last weekend he stopped eating and would barely move. Late Sunday evening, Wade and I took him to the Emergency Clinic and had blood work done. The results showed chronic kidney failure and lupus, both diseases are very difficult to live with. Two very long days later, we decided it was best to let him go and stop suffering; though it was a very difficult decision.

After having to put down our first family dog, Karly, in March 2005, Wade got Pressley for my family. He surprised me on my 19th Birthday wi

th the sweetest, most energetic golden yet. He was born on June 16, 2005 and was given to me with a red bandana around his neck on August 20, 2005.

His midnight-blue eyes sparkled fro

m the very beginning and we knew he was sp

ecial from the get-go. He loved many things: water, mud, food, Dakota (black labrador, his best friend), th

e lake, cool weather, hot dogs, walks, escaping from the back yard, visiting the neighbors, and his belly rubbed, constantly.

He would lie in front of the air vents in the kitchen like a little frog... we later found out he has sever hip-dysplasia. As a puppy, he got so excited when it was lunch/dinner time that he couldn't control his bladder.

We contemplated what to name him. From the time he was a puppy, he looked like a teddy bear, but instead of naming him "Teddy," we thought "Pressley" was more fitting... he and Wade shared almost the same color hair, but same texture and curl.

He knew exactly where he was headed when the weather began to get warmer and when he hopped into the ba

ck of the truck... THE LAKE! He loved to let the wind blow through his auburn curly hair. As soon as he got there, he headed straigh

t for the shore to swim.

He knew at Christmas he would get a BIG bone and leftover prime rib. He knew on his Bi

rthday he would get a yummy cheeseburger and eat it in one bite. He knew when Halloween was because every year

he was 'Woody' from Toy Story. He loved to help pass out candy to all of the Trick-or-Treaters. He would jump on the cou

nters while no one was watching and eat dozens of cupcakes before parties. He definitely had a sweet tooth.

I honestly never thought it would be this hard to let something go that I love so much. I can't tell you how much fun, laughter, and hope he brought into my life and my family's. I will never forget the way he smelled, how velvety-soft the hair above his nose was, the way he would cut his eyes at me (or anyone) when they said or did something he didn't like, how he l

oved to be petted and loved and scratch at you for more, the way he sniffed my hair and twitched his nose when he knew it was me who was there, or how he was pigeon-toed

. His character, personality, and love will stay with me my entire life. He truly was the sweetest, most loving dog.