When the journey of life ends with one it begins with another

And, thats just life!

The time was nearing, this time it could not have been any more evident, it was time to say goodbye my friend... after months and months of medical expenses and riding on an emotional roller coaster, for those of you who knew Mondo.... he is not longer with us. Silvia's dog Mondo, now rests in peace. When the journey of one life ends, it forces another to begin, and soon after loosing letting Mondo go, Silvia began contracting. Mondo, was a Great Pyrenees we pulled from OCAS early 2010. At a staff holiday party at our house, Mauricio (Silvia's husband) fell in love with this big white bear... and that was the beginning of the wonderful life they provided Mondo. So much so, that he very soon became the household favorite, and he knew exactly how to soak it up. Not only was he so special to them, he was to all our kids from last years Summer Camp Doglando. Every day, the kids would come, and swarm him like bees do a hive, squeezing him so tight, and in synchrony they would say "Moooooooonodo, we love you Mondo."

He was their favorite, there were some good days and there were some bad days for him, but they made every day special... and even after camp, I got emails all the time, asking if Mondo was okay. This big oath, made it into everyone's hearts, even the vet and vet techs loved him. He was there sometimes weekly, but most often bi weekly. After months and months of trying to figure out Mondo's condition, the University of Florida's Small Animal Hospital is where Silvia took him... and they found out he had a bone marrow condition. It was a type of cancer in the bone marrow... and because they could not identify it or find out its exact cause, they diagnosed with him Auto Immune Disease. Determined to find a cure or at least get him to the point of maintenance, Silvia did every thing they could... bone marrow aspirate, blood transfusions, biopsies, the whole nine yards... every thing that was recommended, they did. They maintained and regulated his health extending his life and giving him some very strong days, days that made this whole process much more difficult to understand. Then the time came last week, and Mondo's health started to decline, but this time, it was one of the worst episodes. He took a toll for the worst this weekend, and on Sunday it was evident, this time round they may not be able to pull him out of it. Just days away from their new brother's arrival, they had to say good bye to the older brother Mondo. He was in pain, he was in discomfort, he was weak, he wanted to free them... he rested peacefully, and was the happiest they have seen him in several weeks while he flew away to higher skies, where he is playing with Herbie, and Hummer and meeting new friends. Where one journey ends, another begins, and there is never a timing that is easier for us... but the timing is always best for us, its how it works, it's the circle of life. His gentle soul, his soft eyes, and his big paw resting on my knee when he asked to be petted, will always be a memory I cherish forever. We always talked about making him a Therapy Dog after he got better, in fact, we did not realize he already was.