Animals - especially dogs

A Dog for All Seasons

47 Comments

Today is the anniversary of the birthday of our beloved dog, Liam. He would have been fourteen years old. As regular readers know, we had to have Liam put down last May, and there is still a lump in my throat whenever I think of him.

How Clif and I loved that dog buddy, and that love stayed constant right to the end, when caring for him was a lot of work. But we never begrudged him any of our time. Love really does make all the difference, whether for an animal or a person.

Here are some pictures of Liam through the seasons. He loved being outdoors, especially in the winter, and truly was a dog of the north. He was also always ready for a lark, and if I had to use one word to describe Liam that word would be “joy.”

47 thoughts on “A Dog for All Seasons”

    1. Until he went blind, he was an active, energetic dog, and we were committed to giving him plenty of exercise. Plus we loved him like crazy. Yes, a good dog life.

  2. Facebook has reminded me multiple times that it’s Liam’s birthday today, and I have been feeling so blue missing him and that smiling face. The sweetest dog ever.

  4. Liam’s burthday came up on my Facebook page this morning. Gave me a lump in my throat too. He was a wonderful dog and you and Cliff were excellent and loving caretakers.

  7. It’s so lovely to see photographs of your sweet Liam again dear Laurie. He was such a kind soul and was so deeply loved. I don’t know if there’s a shelter near you in need of dog walkers where you could treat a dog to a beautiful walk in Liam’s memory. Thinking of you and Clif and sending love from our house to yours 🙂🐾💖🐾 xxx

  11. So sorry. Dogs are family members, and we grieve when they leave us. We lost our 13y old Beagle just before we left NH. Sad moment. Old photos of him now make me smile with pleasure!

  12. Oh, what a sweet face.
    Sending you hugs, and empathy.
    I’m moved by your post, even though I, too, know that Liam has been gone for several months.
    Just this morning I found myself thinking about two pets who have died in the last several years, and I wondered: will I ever stop missing them? I think as long as there is memory, I won’t. They were beloved members of our family.

  13. Aw, he was an awesome dog-buddy. My favorite story about him was about how he had worn a ‘racetrack’ around the yard perimeter in his energetic youth. 🙂

  14. He looks like a dog loaded with personality! I like the one of him smiling, with the Irises behind him. I can well imagine how much you loved him and miss him, we felt the same about our dog…… for years!

  17. What a beautiful boy — very decorative with his sweet face and beautiful coat. Thank you for sharing these pictures and we all feel your loss and my sympathy is with you and your family, Dogs are such a powerful source of love and I am glad Liam lived with such joy!

  18. I really like the one of him in the autumn leaves.
    How I feel your pain at the loss, especially since we lost Max at just about the same time. I understand your decision not to get another pup whilst you are immersed in visits and books and writing events, but there must be a big hole in your lives. Deciding to get Daisy was the best decision I made last year – she is so different from Max, which is good, and she can soak up all the love I have to give.

    1. There is a very big hole in our lives, and as I am sure you can gather, we still miss Liam so much. Yes, I remember Max died around the same time Liam did. Oh, those dog buddies! Give Daisy a pat for me.

  19. These anniversaries are tough, especially in the first year. And yet they encourage you to remember how important he was to you, and revisit fond memories.

  23. They fill our hearts and homes with love and joy and so many precious memories that help us smile through the tears of our too short time together. Lovely photos that captured his special joy and beauty.

  25. So sorry for your loss. A beautiful dog. Every August reminds me of the day that we had to put our Rainey to sleep. On the anniversary of her passing I take Lexi to the bayshore where I used to run with Rainey.

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