On 11/5/11 we said goodbye to Nemo (Shaldra Mikater Elam), the best damn dog in the world. We adopted him 14 yrs ago just before his second birthday. We were his 5th or 6th home and he came with issues – severe crate anxiety and he didn’t trust people at all. He warmed up to us eventually and became a huge part of our lives. He was there when we bought our first house, when we got married, etc. He was so excited when we got home from our wedding that he ran outside, jumped straight up in the air and grabbed a bird on the wing. It was the best wedding present we received. He was always an odd dog and kept us laughing. He almost blew up our house once scrabbling to eat peanut butter cookies that were cooling on the stove. He turned on a child proof burner and filled the whole first floor with gas. He survived 4 major surgeries after he turned 10, including eye removal, liposarcoma, mast cell cancer and a 1lb lipoma. He was a stoic, tough boy and I learned a ton from him. I thought I was prepared for him to go, especially after he was diagnosed with lymphoma early this year. I knew our time was short, but I was still not ready. I am so grateful and lucky to have had him past his 16th birthday.

He was my first whippet and he will always live in my heart.

His memorial thread on Whippet World: http://www.whippetworld.net/board/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=11941

The only way to safely handle Michael Vick, is face down by the scruff of the neck. If you’d like a Vick of your own to chew on, see: http://www.officialvickdogchewtoy.com/

We went to Ponte Vedra beach last weekend and got some nice shots of Lemmy. He delighted in chasing birds, jumping in the surf, tossing seashells in the air and looking for crabs.