Heartbroken

My beloved little Braco Lee died this morning. She was 11 years old. She had been with me through good and bad times, and was always a loving companion. As a puppy she was the cutiest little thing in the world, with her big eyes and wonderful disposition. I think she weighed maybe three and a half pounds when I got her. And she was always a delight.

She began having health problems at age six, and they just continued getting worse over the years, but she was quite a trooper about it all. A little more than two years ago we discovered she was blind, but it was very hard to tell given that she was so good at getting around the house.

Last December she was diagnosed with Cushing's Disease, which basically destroyed her immune system. From then on every time she would get sick she would really be sick. Her little body simply could not fight anything off. But she remained in much better spirits than I would have been, had the tables been reversed.

She woke me up every morning at 7:00 am, wanting her breakfast. And you could have set your watch by her accuracy when it was "cookie" time -- 10 pm. If I didn't make a move toward the kitchen, she would let me know in no uncertain terms that it "was time."

She was such a joy and will be deeply missed.