Tribute to Marley

Even before children we have had a dog in the family. It started when Cindy had an abandoned young dog follow her from her noon run to the mouth of Logan Canyon and back to USU Purchasing. That was Mowgley. Mowgley was followed by Molly which was a dog that we took in when someone at work told me they were trying to find a home for some abandoned dog that she had found. After Molly died in a accident on the street in front of the house we thought we would not have another dog. We came home from our Hawaii trip in June of 2008 and Cameron and the girls were going to Wal Mart to get some things. Someone was selling puppies at the corner entrance into Wal Mart. The girls convinced Cameron we needed a dog and he bought it. It was a surprise to see what they brought home from their run to the store. This was the first time we actually had a puppy. Keeping with the M's we named her Marley. She was cute and soon became another member of the family.

Cameron would take her to training classes and learned some important skills that made her a good, obedient dog. Marley was our most obedient dog and we could be outside and let her roam and she generally would stay within view all the time. She did not stay a puppy long but she loved to be around us all the time.

While Cameron left to do different things Marley stayed with us and became our dog. Maddie would take her on trail walks or trail runs, play fetch in the field. Marley was just  a good loyal friend to all of us. She even had her moments she had to overcome. When we were robbed and she was in the kennel the robbers terrorized her because she reacted differently to strangers for a long time. She had always been so loving and accepting of everyone. But the lessons we learn from Marley is always to be loving and accepting no matter what happens. A short memory of the bad is the best way to live life. Last fall Marley developed a limp. At first we thought it was a bruise and she seemed to be getting better but it reoccurred and this time we had X-rays done and found she had cancer that had spread throughout her body. Finally it was time that she not suffer any longer and she left us on February 10. Maddie and I cried as we said our final goodbyes to a loyal family member who had been with us eight and a half years.