Hi, it's me, Abby, and I'm here in Doggie Heaven. I crossed the Rainbow Bridge today.
It's just like Mommy and Daddy said. There are bushes with all kinds of dog treats and I can eat them any time I want and never get fat. I have all my teeth so I can catch Frisbees. I can hear again, so I can hear when Mommy and Daddy tell me I'm beautiful and such a good girl and that they love me, and I can especially hear when they ring the dinner bell. I can eat and eat and eat and never explode (unlike those unfortunate earthbound Shelties). I don't have any pain in my joints and I don't stumble when I walk. I'm a happy, healthy girl.

I can run fast and I never get tired.

I miss my Mom and Dad, but I know I'll see them again and I know they loved me so much. They did everything they could to make the short 16 months I had with them as happy as they possibly could. They took good care of me and did everything they could to keep me happy and healthy. But sometimes, there are things even love can't control, no matter how much we hope it can.

They gave me lots of toys to play with. This is my very first toy, a sheep. (I'm a Shetland sheepdog, you know.) I didn't know how to play with toys at first, but Mommy showed me how, and then I had big fun. I really, really liked the laser pointer, but that little red dot was sure hard to catch when it hid under the couch! And Daddy used to take me on long walks. We'd climb "Mount Abby" (he named it especially for me) and he'd let me eat dried worms (yum!) and roll in bunny poop when Mommy wasn't looking. (You know how Moms are about stuff like that. Daddy's understand.)

I had really big fun in the snow. I loved the snow a lot (I think it was that Shetland Islands background), and Daddy would make me snowballs and throw them up in the air for me to catch.

They'd dress me funny sometimes, but I didn't care because I made them laugh a lot and I knew I made them happy. They seemed to laugh all the time when I was around.

Mostly I just liked hanging out with Mommy and Daddy.

We would read a lot. Well, they would read. I would sleep. But it was just nice to be with them.

  And sometimes Daddy and I would sing together. (The neighbors weren't too fond of that.)

I especially liked to sleep on the deck outside in the sunshine.

I know they will miss me, but they knew I was very sick and that it was time for me to go. And they loved me enough to know that, just as I love them. I know I'll see them again someday and we'll all do the Happy Dance.

Those of you who know me know what a sweet girl I was. I'm sorry that there are so many of you that I never had a chance to meet. Just know that I made my Mommy and Daddy very, very happy in the time that we had together, and they made me feel loved and special. Because I was. They always told me so.

We'll never forget. And I'll see them again.

Abby