Comet (Not The Cleanser)

Two nights ago we went to bed and I was awoken by our dog Comet seizing on the floor by the bed. The whole rest of the day is a blurr for us both as she had two more episodes and basically lost her ability to comprehend not only where she was but who we were. By 6 o'clock that night we were in the vets office with my two youngest grown children as we were forced to euthanize her. She was 14 and in excellent health. We all cried buckets of tears and ended the evening crying over a meal at Perkins down the street and talking about what a great dog she was to us. The question of heaven and dogs came up. I would like to quote a wonderful article from Dogworld that was put in Comet's file that I kept with the vacinations a few years back. Bear with me: it's worth it.
"I am not a member of the clergy or a theologian, so I will admit right off that I have no authority to discuss such weighty matters. This is just my opinion. But honestly, it wouldn't be heaven if there were no animals. I believe all animals go to heaven to make it a better place for us. But I believe animals merit heaven in their own right - probably more than I do.
A lifetime of living with animals has convinced me that they have the purest souls. By that, I mean they seem to experience every feeling in its purest form. Their joy is never diminished by thoughts of the past or future. Their trust is never less than absolute. Their innocence is spotless. They love us in a way that is limitless and all-embracing. Their devotion is never tempered by doubt or self-interest and they accept themselves in the same way they accept us: they never see our flaws; they are never self-conscous about their own. They struggle to live in our world, on our terms and accept our demand that they put aside their very nature to live up to our expectations. They joyfully offer us the assistance we require, the approval we crave, and they never stop to think about what's in it for them. Sometimes their love heals us: Sometimes it transforms us...." Comet did both for me. R.I.P. "Sweets"(my sometimes nickname for her).