I had gotten Bart as a give away when he was six weeks of age. He was the biggest (by far!) of his litter and the cutest little ball of fluff i had ever seen. I could hold him on one hand. Bart had an incredibly rich life. In the thirteen years and one month we spent together we were only apart for about five days or less. My boy went pretty much everywhere with me. My only thought at the end of the day was seeing my Bart. Bart was an amazingly athletic boy who could jump and run as high and fast as any dog i'd ever seen. He was such a loving dog and always wanted to be either on my knee (he was a bit big, but it didnt bother me) or at my feet or on my bed with me. Bart was hardly ever sick in his life. When i did take him to the vet for a checkup he'd get sooo excited as he loved his friends at the vet.  He was a mixed breed. His mum was allegedly a Red Heeler according to her owner. To me Barts mum looked like a dingo, not like any red heeler i had ever seen and his dad must have been some sort of collie, i think a border collie. Life went on perfectly for about eleven years when something started to slow Bart down. He didnt look sad or in pain, just not as quick as he once was which i put down to age. Six months later and i noticed a very slight limp in Barts gait. Took him to the vet who said it was probably arthritis with which i agreed it could be and he went on some anti inflammatorys. This actually seemed to help for a couple of months but then the limp slowly returned. He still never complained and got around alright but i was unaware of just how much pain he was in. I took him back to the vet and was given anti inflammatory meds again. By this stage the disease was quite advanced unbeknown to me. I have since been told that bone cancer is like someone holding an angle grinder to you bones 24/7. Excruitiatingly painful. By this stage Bart was not putting any weight through his leg and looked miserable. I took him back to the vets and got a different vet to look at him. She instantly suspected osteosarcoma and took an xray of his leg. What i saw devastated me. The cancer had eaten 2 thirds of his humerus away.I couldnt believe his leg hadnt snapped. I felt so guilty for not diagnosing it faster. I didnt know what to do, did i put him down to end the pain? i absolutely agonized over this for 24 hours. I mean he was almost thirteen by that stage but if i knew anything about Bart it was that he was tough. A real fighter, not just a bit but hard as nails tough, brave beyond comprehension and still so full of love to give that i just knew he wasnt ready to say goodbye. So after much soul searching and consideration I booked him in. Dropping him off and leaving him at the vets was one of the hardest things i have ever done. I gave him a huge cuddle and kisses and walked away and bawled my eyes out. The vet called me mid op to give me an update and told me he was doing well. She also called me post op and told me the same thing. I held off going in to see him that afternoon because i knew he would be confused when i couldnt take him home. I had to wait till the following morning. Before his op the vet had told me he had anywhere from 2 weeks to a MAXIMUM three or four  months. That he wouldnt eat for a few days and wouldnt use his bowels for about 5 days and he might take a while to get on his feet, especially considering his age. No, not Bart. When the vet went in the following morning (12 hours post op) Bart was standing up in his cage tail wagging, she opened the door and he lapped up the pats and had a biscuit treat. She left him and walked around to the other side of the surgery (30 odd meters) and heard something behind her. Of course it was my boy Bart. She had forgotten to latch the cage and Bart had followed her wanting more pats and treats. that really blew her mind. I picked him up soon after and he was so happy to see me he could barely contain himself. I took him home and he went straight up the moderately steep yard and proceeded to open his bowels with gusto. Good old Bart. He had defied all that was predicted for him and took losing his leg in his stride. He was never sad or down. Now the pain had gone he was ecstatic. Back to normal. Sure he was a bit tender for a few weeks and had to have tramadol for that time but after that he was entirely pain free. The next six months were absolutely unbelievable. It was as if he knew we only had a short while left. The amount of games, love and treats he packed in to those six months was unbelievable. He would wake me every morning progressively ealier by licking my face with more enthusiasm than usual and want to go outside and play and see his doggy friends down the road. And eat. And eat. In fact each night when i'd be watching tv or something he would stand next to the couch and bark at the top of his lungs for food or a play. This is something he had never done in the previous 11 years. Eventually Bart developed a little cough. This didnt worry him at all and he got on with life, but i knew it had gotten to his lungs. It did eventually get worse. He was having trouble going any great distance and the exertion would bring on another coughing fit. As much as didnt want to admit it i knew our time together was coming to a close. Although the cough was annoying him it didnt seem to cause any pain. The last week was difficult. I had exams for nursing and assignments due and i struggled to cope. At this stage it was just one day at a time. The last night Bart spent the whole night laying next to me on the loungeroom floor where i had decided to sleep as he couldnt get on the bed anymore. That morning he was telling me he had had enough. Im sure he didnt want to leave but there was just nothing left in the tank. He just looked so tired. I took him to my parents house because it is the one place that was a constant throughout his life and the place he felt truly safe and loved by his grandparents and uncle. I laid with him telling him how much he had changed my life for the better and that he didnt have to fight anymore. I had arranged for the vet to come to the house and put him to sleep. When the time came he was cradled in my ever loving arms surrounded by his loving family. His end was dignified, peaceful and free of pain. A perfect end to a gentlemans life. There was no tension, he simply took his last breath and went to sleep in my arms. I miss this dog so much everyday and life can never be the same again for having had him in my life. He taught me honesty, humility, courage, love, joy, play and every other lesson i value so highly. It was my intention to bury Bart under the pear tree at my parents house as he loved to sit under it and look down the driveway to see what was happening and guard the house. The only thought i could think was what if they move? I couldnt bear the thought of him being alone with new people he didnt know so i made the difficult decision to have him cremated. It was the best decision i could have made. Now he will go with me  until the day we can be buried together for eternity. Bart was my son, my life, my love, my everything. I love him more than words could ever express. I miss him like sleep. But the painful memories of losing him are rapidly being replaced with the knowledge that my life is all the better for having known him and memories of the goodtimes. I know one day i will have another dog, and i will love it as dearly as Bart, but Bart will always hold the most special place in my heart as he was my first dog of my own. Upon Barts passing i borrowed Lord Byron's words to eulogise him, who in 1808 had this to say about the loss of his best mate Boatswain:

 Near this Spot
are deposited the Remains of one
who possessed Beauty without Vanity,
Strength without Insolence,
Courage without Ferosity,
and all the virtues of Man without his Vices.

This praise, which would be unmeaning Flattery
if inscribed over human Ashes,
is but a just tribute to the Memory of
BOATSWAIN, a DOG,
who was born in Newfoundland May 1803
and died at Newstead Nov. 18, 1808.

So to anyone who has had the distressing news that their dog has osteosarcoma, please, i beg and implore you to amputate, there is so much support from people on this site, i know i couldnt have survived or made the right decision without the reassuring stories i read on here. Your dogs time is not up. Not by  a long shot. Once the pain of the cancer is gone you will be richly rewarded. Far more than you can ever imagine. At least give them that chance, you owe it to them. Yes the end is hard but i rest easy knowing i made the right choice by my ever beloved Bart.

R.I.P. Bart, i love you to the moon and back and miss you everyday. Until we meet again my boy, to be reunited forever xoxoxox....