Blissy was the love of our lives, could see into your soul, had a tremendously quiet way about her, and left us far too soon. Adopted from an Oregon rescue organization, she chose us and we will be forever grateful for it. She rarely ever barked; it was 6 months after her adoption that we first heard her voice, and she was clean and quiet and could never understand the significance of dog toys. Her respect was hard earned, took time and patience, but when she let you into her circle the bond was incredibly deep. She never met a child that she didn’t trust or seek out the company of, no matter the clatter or noise, but most larger humans were never to be put in this same class for her and were at best merely tolerated, and at worst, shunned.

Though a Shepard mix, Bliss shared many physical and personality characteristics of a coyote, was very cautious and wise, could read any situation, and never lost her desire to be free, preferring the outdoors to the house and a den or burrow to a soft bed. We have a large field behind our farmstead and also spent time in the desert SW in the winters and we always walked with Bliss as protection to prevent someone mistaking her for a distant (Canis Latrans) cousin. It was in those 3 years of thousands of wonderful walks that she showed her true joy, in being out-of-doors, rolling in the grass, chasing feral cats off “her” property, digging for moles, and in spending time with us.

Blissy’s inoperable and metastatic kidney cancer was discovered quite by mistake while having a routine work up for a minor procedure to remove a small skin cyst. She seemed well and it took us all by swift and devastating surprise. We will be forever grateful to “Dr. Beth” Nguyen at Woodburn Veterinary Hospital and all of the patient, caring and respectful staff there for their excellent care and concern in performing the initial general workup of Bliss prior to her intended minor procedure, in helping us navigate through affordable palliative care, and also in helping us cope with the heartbreak of knowing that our time with Blissy would be finite, and by the heart’s true measure far too short. Not only was that fateful initial workup prudent and in giving good clinical care but it also by happenstance discovered and diagnosed Blissy’s terminal cancer by at a point in time where we were gifted because of it with 3 wonderful and functionally healthy last months spent lovingly with Bliss in which we were able to make every single day count.

RIP Bliss 11/1/2020. We love you and miss you so much; you were truly everything your namesake implied. We hope to see you on the other side someday, where your spirit now runs free.