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| Name: |
Taylor
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Age: |
Deceased, Twelve years old
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| Gender: |
Male |
Breed: |
Bernese Mountain Dog |
| Home: |
Bucks County, Pennsylvania, USA |
It's
been a year since Taylor died, but we see him still, in our mind's
eye, lying in the tall clover by the park meadow or bounding across the
snowfield by the canal or rumbling over to greet new visitors. A gentle,
joyful giant, he entered our lives after we rescued him from a small kennel
cage. He had never been permitted indoors so he set up residence in our back
yard unless heat drove him into the garage, specially air conditioned for
him.
After years of confinement, the joy of human and canine company transformed
him. He lived for his twice daily walks in the park, the love of many
friends, and the grudging companionship of his lab step-sister Nikki. His
health was shaky in his late years - he lived to the eve of his 12th birthday
- but he never tired of company or attention. He died suddenly after an
active day in the park. We heard his labored breathing during the night and
as we came to hold him in his last minutes, he had the strength to wag the
very tip of his tail one more time. "It's all right," that moment said, "I've
known what it is to have family and friends, to be greatly loved, to be the
dog I was meant to be." He is always with us.
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