"It is with great sadness that I bring you the news that today we put Max to sleep. Right up to the end Max was the most loving, caring, friendly, happy dog that ever was. This is the saddest thing to ever happen to us, and we will miss Max and remember him fondly always.

Unfortunately Max's body was giving out and couldn't support him anymore. For nearly a year now, he has had trouble walking as a result of arthritis and a pinched nerve in his back. In the last few months his limping and lack of coordination often kept him from reaching the door when he needed to go to the bathroom. A few weeks ago, he had surgery to remove tennis ball pieces from his gut, and he was recovering nicely, but in the past week he went downhill. Max, a dog who would never whine or whimper, began to cry a lot. These last two days he couldn't even sit up, and he was in pain all the time.

So what to do? We could have given him drugs for the pain, but his days of walking were long gone. We wish we didn't have to make this decision. His mind was still good, but his body was a complete wreck.

So we are completely devastated, and we miss Max Puppy already. Mookie D. Mook Man. Fat Boy. The Mayor. The Omega Dog. He was a good man and friendly to all. We hope that now he is with his friends, chasing field mice, running, swimming, chewing tennis balls, and scouting the woods like he always liked to do. He was a big brother to Bailey and Harriet, always giving up his toys or his food for those evil doers. We miss that man."