In these brief closing pages, I wish to highlight the amazingly strong bond that can exist between people and their dogs by relating a personal experience. The most effective way to do that, and keep the approach at this point truly informal, is by means of two personal letters that I wrote on the same day. In the fall of 2005 our dog Jingo, cherished by me and my wife Beth, died. It was a crushing blow, one from which we still haven't recovered fully. Two days after it happened, I composed the following letter to a former work associate and delivered it by way of email. I will let that letter speak for itself, and then comment briefly before sharing the one I wrote later that same day.

10/15/2005, Morning

Little Jingo's demise at the end is actually pretty touching, and that's what I'll tell you about today. On Tuesday, we got her home from the vet's in Lawrence, and Beth stayed with her all night downstairs. Jingo was just too weak to get up the stairs herself, and of course, she needed to be taken out periodically. She was regularly gasping for breath, and so weak it was painful to witness. On Wednesday, we got her through the morning, and in the afternoon, after she had managed to stagger around in the back yard a bit before she collapsed, it was a nice day, so both us of just sat out there with her, and had a sort of picnic, right there in the yard.