In Memory of Toby

2005-2020

On September 23, 2020 we parted with Toby – age 15, our first dog and a faithful and loved member of our family since May 2013 when we adopted him at age 8 from the Seattle Animal Shelter. We do not know much about the first half of Toby’s life except that he moved to Seattle from the Midwest and the person who initially bonded with Toby could no longer afford his care. We can only imagine the sadness of that parting.

With few exceptions due to deteriorating health late in life, Toby enjoyed every meal with a remarkable level of enthusiasm (lightening fast eater and thorough bowl licker, which made his ability to avoid ingesting medication – no matter how well disguised – all the more impressive); Toby demonstrated a high level of patience with the cat members of the family (Norman and – after Norman’s passing – Doug and Charles); Toby was always up for another walk; Toby would hop up and down in excitement when Rhonda J. pulled up to collect him for the weekly meet-up with his fellow furry Canine Connection pals; and – in his prime - Toby was a wonder to watch run in full stride at Magnuson dog park… a pure athlete. More than once a visitor to the dog park asked us if Toby could be part Greyhound. :) We never did find out Toby’s exact mix of breeds… shepherd, lab, and ??? His uniqueness made Toby extra special.

We miss you Toby! We miss hugging and snuggling with you, we miss the tap dances you did when you were psyched to eat, we miss the way you’d raise your eyebrow when you were thinking something, and we miss your soft ears and your big brown eyes. By the way, Doug and Charles have been sleeping on your bed ever since your last day with us. They miss you too.

Laura, Steve, Benji & Grace Walker