We were rescued and blessed when Dio came for a visit and stayed. He made our house a home.

Always a gentleman, well mannered, patient and kind, trusting and obedient. Dio had a way about him! He just wanted to be with us all. He seemed to understand every word we said. He was the treat sneak, he knew where we kept the cookies!

Behind those beautiful amber eyes and that expressive face was the boss, full of wisdom and compassion. Dio thought all visitors to the house were here to see him, he was probably right. Dio was our official greeter, schedule keeper, new recipe taste tester, foot warmer, bird alert, squirrel and rabbit tolerator, acre sentry, backseat driver, sadness eliminator, stick saver, ball hoarder, joy provider, fun instigator, constant companion and our best friend!

Finding it hard to breathe, even so, we knew this day would come. We still cannot accept that Dio is gone. If we had known how hard these days would be, if we had anticipated the weight of this farewell, we would still have fallen in love with him! Paw prints on our hearts, on his own terms this love and grief becomes part of Dio’s story.

In the words of Charles Dickens: “And can it be that in a world so full and busy the loss of one creature makes a void so wide and deep that nothing but the width and depth of eternity can fill it up!”

Goodbye sweet prince, Thank you for choosing us! Thank you for loving us! If you have a best dog friend, please tell them thank you, that you love them and give them a treat from Dio.

Dio had all our love and respect for all of his days, and we had his!