Dear Arlene and Gene,

A few words to say how sorry we are to hear about Cooper, and to say we know how you must be feeling at this time. So many people say when they hear of similar situations, "well, it is only a dog," but we who are dog lovers know differently. They are a part of our family, and a very important part of it. They ask for so little, but give us so much in return. They never scold us, are never ashamed of us, and are always pleased to see us. They may not be our whole lives, but they make our lives whole.

The only trouble with them is they do not live as long as we want them to live, but the love and pleasure we get while they are with us is worth all of the pain of losing them. When Cooper does eventually reach that Doggie Heaven, and is asked who his owners were, he is going to say, "Hell, no one owned me; I just happened to have the best Mom and Pop in the whole world."

Love you Guys.

Joan & Ron