In Memory of Luke

On July 3, 2004 Luke joined our family. This picture on the left was taken that night he moved in with us. I didn't want the responsibility of taking care of a pet dog, but when I first saw him, my heart melted. I can't say that all of the time living with him was pleasant for me, but he certainly did teach me some things.

On Saturday night, January 3, 2009, Luke made a quick escape from the car in the driveway and ran out into traffic on a nearby busy road. I was just purchasing a pair of shoes when I received a phone call from Mia. Crying on the other end (she's in Idaho for school), all I could make out was something about being hit by a car. I thought that she was saying she was. But then I understood what she was telling me. From what Mia said, Gina watched him get hit by a second car. She ran out onto the road to stop traffic before another car would hit him. We are all thankful that she didn't get hit by a car. They rushed him to the vet emergency room. After diagnosis and several hours passed, the vets thought it best to put him down.

The vets made paw prints and gave them to Gina with a lock of his hair. This is a very difficult time for Lucretia, Mia and especially Gina. This is the puppy that she had anxiously awaited to find in her Christmas stocking every December, or in her Easter basket every spring. Life gives us many precious blessings and along with them, the sadness of separation. I think maybe Luke is somewhere now, playing with one of his first buddies, Rocky, again.