Jasper was our Miracle Dog. He and his littersister Sierra came to us just after the loss of our first Golden, and swiftly eased our grief. He grew into a dog with a flair for retrieving, a skyrocket water entry, and an intense love of life. He was an incredible marking dog with a fantastic nose, a joy to be with in the field.

By all rights, Jasper should have died more than six years ago. He contracted a tick-borne disease that shut down his bone marrow. Seven Houston-area vets treated him at various times during 8 months of struggling to come up with an answer, and we made two trips to Texas A&M when all other options had been exhausted. At the low point, none of the vets who saw him thought he was going to make it. He fooled them all.

So we had six more years with this wonderful dog. When we moved to Katy, he went right back to puppyhood. He loved to run around the ponds with the other dogs, splash around in the shallows, and generally be a dog. Being a retired survivor, he more or less thought the rules didn’t apply to him any more – he was a naughty old dog at times! He trotted down to the end of the drive every morning and brought back the paper, something he did right up to the end.

In 2003, he scared us again. Routine blood work showed anemia, and an ultrasound found a mass between his spleen and liver. Luckily, it turned out to be a hematoma, and he recovered from the surgery to continue his role as our own personal Miracle.

Then last December, another ultrasound found a mass on his heart, and we knew the miracle was drawing to a close. I took him on one last hunt early in January, and the old dog simply glowed with joy. Early on the morning of January 24th, he died at home in our arms.

Rest in peace, Gooberdog. We will never forget you.