This is a poem I found and I don't know who the author is, but I changed a few words.

Sweet dog in a locket
That lays next to my heart
I will always love you
As I did right from the start.

You were right beside me
Through the darkest of my days
It was your kind and gentle nature
That made me want to stay.

Now I hold you in my arms
Your breath still warm against my hand
Our hearts still beat together
And I wonder if you understand.

Through the hours that I held you
Before the light did leave your soul
I knew a way to keep you
Forever in my hold.

I snipped the hair from around your eyes
So I would always see
The beauty that surrounds me
Even in times of need.

I snipped the hair from around your ears
So I would always hear
Music in the distance
To quiet any fears.

I snipped the hair from across your back
To bring me strength in time of need
And that the power of your essence
Would always be with me.

I snipped the hair from around your heart
That beat in time with mine
So love would know to find me
At some other distant time.

And so, your life slipped out of mine
On a quiet winter day
But I knew that a part of you
Was always here to stay.

Sweet dog in a locket
That lays next to my heart
I will always love you
Even though we had to part.

Daisy, a Lab mix, was adopted by Elena, Mark and I the first week in March 1994 as a 4 week old orphan pup whos mother was hit and killed in the street in front of a veterinarian hospital in West Palm Beach, Florida. The owner of the mother handed the pups to the employees of the hospital and asked them to find homes for the pups. Our neighbor at the time worked at that hospital and called on us for a week to try to get us to take one of 2 orphaned pups. (I think there were 4 or 5 in all but the others were taken.) I said no a few times until she brought them by and that was it. My 13 year old daughter, Elena saw the puppy and fell in love. I couldn't say no anymore!

Through the years, Daisy became more of a "daughter" to us than a dog ~ We traveled a lot and she traveled wherever we went...and LOVED it...we rarely left her home. She was a very well behaved, smart and loving girl.~ everyone loved Daisy. Because we work, she was more of an inside dog and for that reason, she was a permanent fixture on the best spot of the couch! We didn't mind, we loved her so much. I took her on daily walks and she loved them so much.

In October 2000, when at age 6 1/2, she was diagnosed with cancer, (after we saw her limping one night) we were devastated. A, rapidly growing, quarter sized tumor was removed from her left rear paw a week later but had metastasized immediately to her groin (no surgery on this). Prednisone was given for a few weeks until mid-December, she was given CCNU (lomustine) which worked like a charm...in a week, her tumor had shrunk to nothing. She had gained 11 pounds from the prednisone. She was back to normal for 7 weeks... Her eyes sparkled again, and she was doing all her normal things. We were thrilled! On January 27, we adopted a puppy, Brandi, for Daisy to love and play with. They got along great for 2 weeks. She made it to her 7th birthday...then on February 10, I found the tumor had returned - with a vengeance. I went to the pharmacy to pick up the next Chemo drug, Vinblastine. This, I was told, was the rescue drug...if this didn't work, that was it. She was injected that day and came home. That week she never showed any sign of turn around - in fact, she was in a lot of audible pain. We did not want our baby to go through this again and so instead of poking and prodding her again with the IV, we let her go pain free.

**This was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life.** I was so sure she was going to come through this cancer and live another 2 years, at least. I had brought her back once, why couldn't it happen again? I blamed myself. I could have done more, but I couldn't....I know this now.

Now our sweet girl sits in a box on our shelf - surrounded by the people that love her dearly. It is still very hard for us... we will never forget our Sweet Daisy ~ NEVER!

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