Your Pet Tributes

'Max' - Survived by Scout, Rockne, Wendy, Evan, & Isabella

by Rockne Egnatios
(Seattle, Washington)

We lost our friend and companion on September 3, 2010. Max was a part of our family for almost 12 years. A Chow-Shepherd-Golden Retriever, Max was one of a kind. From the first day Max and I were introduced in a shelter in Arizona (thank you for finding him Marc)in December '98, I knew he was going to be a great dog. And he was. He was a constant companion, who loved affection and food equally. He will be missed by the whole family.

Max was a great security dog, rarely barking at unnecessary sounds and always alerting us to significant changes in our environment. He got the daily paper for us almost every day all the way up to the end of his life (he needed some assistance by then). We'll post video of him getting the paper on his own in the next few months (when it's a little easier - look for Max, survived by Rockne and Wendy on uTube).

More than any work he did, Max was special because he had an uncanny way of sensing when you needed help and giving you kisses or just companionship when it was most needed. He last did this for my wife who was crying because we had to put him down. Imagine, through all Max's pain, the almost total loss of his hearing and some of his eyesight, he was trying to comfort Wendy.

Max is survived by our 10 year old Lab Mix, Scout, with whom he shared his humans for the last 9.5 years. She misses him immensely today. We all do. But now there are no more home changes for Max, no more new additions to the family for him to compete, no more Dr.'s visits and no more new dog foods to try. I know that Max is now in a better place, free of the bladder stones, tooth decay, hip displasia, blindness, and hearing loss that complicated his last days.

We love you, Max!