I am sitting here with tears in my eyes because of something that many people would think is just plain silly. To fully understand what I am feeling, you must first understand one thing, I love dogs. With that in mind, I shall tell you about my friend, Sassie. Sassie is a dalmatian, but not your ordinary kind. Her spots are brown instead of black. We met about six years ago when I first got the route that I currently deliver. She was but a pup back then. Before her owners told me her name, I called her "Brown Sugar" because of her unusual spots and sweet disposition. Every day when the weather is good, she waits for me near the mailbox to get her treat. She was waiting for me today, but something was terribly wrong. Her back legs were being dragged along behind her. Her back paws were bloody. Upset by this, I found her owner. This is what he told me. Sometime during the winter, Sassie's legs became paralyzed. He knew not why. He waited, in the hopes that it would get better, but it did not. It got worse. Sassie was losing control of other bodily functions as well. Disheartened, he took her to the vet, where he was told that surgery to possibly correct her problem would cost four thousand dollars! This man has a family to feed, spending that amount of money on a dog, no matter how much she is loved is just not within the realm of possibility. Sassie is scheduled to be put down next Friday. When I heard this I put my arms around my beloved pup and cried. I wished that I could do something, but knew that I could not. I told Sassie that I loved her and that when she got to where she was going to tell my Layla that I still loved her and missed her. Her owner tried to coax poor Sassie to come to the house, but she would not budge until after I pulled away. She, too, wanted to be with a friend just a little while longer. I can only hope that the weather remains good until next Friday, so that we may have just a little more time together.
