Happy Birthday My Son

Today my boy would have been 6.
It is still incredibly difficult to deal with the fact that he is gone and not coming back. It just so happens that today is the Middleburg Christmas Parade - an event that he loved to participate in. I will go and walk with all the Pyrs in his memory but it will not be the same. I understand that most people do not get my grief and so I have withdrawn and refrain from talking about him except for with a few close friends.

He was so amazing and loving that I wanted to do something in his honor and so I started a non-profit organization with one of his biggest supporters, my friend Gina. Its premise is to help people facing tough decisions about their companion animals by providing support and assisting with major medical costs through donations.

The website is at Companion Bridge and was created to provide a loving and supportive community for people to connect, share and assist one another on behalf of their animals. If you get a moment please check it out and if you can donate a little that would be great. It is my wish that it grow to help everyone that ever needs it even after I am long gone.

I sincerely hope you enjoyed sharing in Tonka's Journey and that we perhaps made you smile or helped you in some way.

Peace and Love Always

AP

Happy 5th Birthday Tonka Dog

AP here:
Since Tonka came from a shelter we don't exactly have an actual birth date for him so the vet techs at GAVH gave him December 7th. That is also Pearl harbor Day so it does make it easy to remember. This year his birthday happened to fall on a an underwater treadmill therapy day which meant getting into "water" one of Tonka's last favorite things. It actually meant the "w" word twice because once we are home from treadmill he then gets an actual bath. I felt bad that he was going to have to get wet twice on his birthday but the treadmill is helping him so I did not want to cancel.
What I didn't know is that it was also going to be raining for his birthday so he was going to have a very wet day.

We started the day with a walk in the rain and it was not coming down too hard when we first went out. We made it all the way to the park and the sky opened up and we had to take shelter under the jungle gym.

Hate the Rain

Can I Come Out Yet

Later in the day we went to the Canine Fitness Center and he walked on the Underwater Treadmill. Diana and Chris gave him some extra birthday attention which made him happy. He has been doing really well on the treadmill and is up to (2) five minute sessions with a 2 minute rest in between.

Once we were home the boy had a bath and relaxed while I blew him dry. Of course Tonka is always relaxed and can fall asleep during anything.

After he was all dry he got brushed..

Sweet Boy

Then his girlfriend Nala showed up to hang out with him.

Nala

I think all in all he had a pretty good day!