My name is Pooh Bear. I was 15 years old when I took my first Rimadyl tablet. My mommy didn't know that Rimadyl was bad for dogs with kidney disease, and I only took 6 pills total over a span of 7 months when one of them may have done me in at the age of 16 years and 3 months. I was full of life and happy until the last 10 days of my existence. Then I suddenly developed paralysis, internal hemorrhaging and vestibular disease.

I was born in San Antonio, Texas on Monday, January 10, 1983, and was the runt of 3 puppies in a dachshund terrier litter. My family adopted me at the tender age of 6 weeks for $10. My family used to refer to me as "the $10 dog". The pet store that had me on display didn't feed me too well, and I had a lot of fleas when Anita and her family adopted me. Keith, the one who called every pet store in town to find me, said, "look how friendly she is!" when he first saw me. Little did he know that I was on my very best behavior because I wanted out of that pet store! (Although, I must admit that I WAS the friendliest ...and cutest...dog that you would ever want to meet, if I say so myself!)

During my life on this earth, I lived in 4 different cities in 6 different houses. I lived in San Antonio, Texas; Houston, Texas; a little town called Florence, Kentucky and Cincinnati, Ohio in my 16-plus years on this earth. I lived in or visited 11 states (and the District of Columbia), including Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Maryland. I also visited Chicago in December 1993 and went on an airplane a few times to visit my Grandparents in West Virginia. I spent most of my life with Anita and comforted her when she was feeling down, and saw her through a host of other adventures and travails.

I was loving and loyal and independent and a real survivor. I was proud, fierce, mischievous and playful. I loved to chase after tennis balls. I also loved to play tug-of-war using the tennis ball to tug on. It was my favorite activity (other than napping!), even when I was 16 years old. And I was very protective of my family.

I was always an "inside dog". Once, when I was outside and someone accidentally closed the front door to the house, I was frantic until Anita returned from an errand in her car, found me outside and let me back in. When I was younger, I wouldn't go outside without coaxing. And after that incident, I was even more reluctant to go outside!

When I was 8 years old, Anita adopted Sunshine, a Yellow Labrador mix, from the SPCA. I was not too fond of Sunshine at first and always made sure that I was the queen of the house, even at the very last. I was always the alpha dog. Now, Sunshine has that privilege, and I hope that she is enjoying it. Deep down, I really loved Sunshine a lot, and we used to be kenneled together when Anita was out of town. I wouldn't even leave the kennel unless I knew that Sunshine, my friend, was coming, too.

My family really misses me a lot, especially Anita. I will always remember the love that my family gave to me while on this earth and am anxiously waiting for them at the Rainbow Bridge.