Messenger Tazzie here posting for Sarah and Jake:

I am pretty sure you want to hear a bit more about Jake from Calgary, who posted yesterday.

As you could tell from yesterday's post, Sarah had to say goodbye to Jake, a young Portuguese water dog. He was in too much pain with little possibility of improvement. It sounds as though he was lying comfortably for the last few hours, with close family or friends present, until the vet arrived yesterday afternoon. Poor Sarah only got the diagnosis on Thursday, although she has been looking into the source of his lameness for some time. With the primary tumor in the spine, she and Jake did not get the opportunity for a few more good weeks or months or even days the way most of us get. Sarah is a 'stiff upper lip' kind of Brit, but I know how crushed she must be to lose Jake, who was a young healthy pup until recently.

Sarah and Jake looked after Tazzie and me during our chemo this August, even taking care of Tazzie when I left town to visit my parents! Tazzie really came to life when we stayed at their house after lying very low for a few weeks after the amputation. Even though he was young, Jake was a gentle companion for Tazzie at that time.

It is a bit freakish that both Tazzie and Jake, dogs that have spent some time together, came down with OSA this year. It makes one wonder if it is something in the water or air or even contagious. Sarah fed Jake a raw food diet. As far as I know, Jake did not imbibe on Hershey kisses, pizza, licorice spice tea or unadulterated trash. (But he did manage to have some fun in life nonetheless.)

My heart goes out to Sarah who has been so good to Jake, to Tazzie and to many other lucky dogs!

Susan