R.I.P. Harley girl, you were a good dog.

My dog, Harley, died last week. She was a beautiful Black lab who lived a good long life. I got her back in college but she lived with my parents for the past few years, in Texas.

She was a peaceful dog that never hurt anyone or anything. She would let our dachshunds hang from her lips without so much as a growl. One time my sister was walking with a frog in her hand through the back yard. Harley was walking beside her when the frog jumped from her hand. To my sister's horror Harley snatched the frog out of mid-air. But, then she leaned over opened her mouth and let the frog go free.

She never wanted to be anywhere but by your side. While in college she would lay at my feet while I studied at the kitchen table. When it got to be her bed time she would look at me a start whimpering. I would tell her to go to bed and she would slowly head down the hall to my room. Then every thirty minutes or so she would come back to see when I was coming to bed eventually giving up her soft bed to curl up by my feet.

Her only fault was her addiction to the tennis ball. She would chase them all day and night if given the chance. If there was a group of people outside she would eventually find the person with the strongest arm and then only bring it back to them. She loved chasing tennis balls. My sister put a tennis ball by her head when they buried her.

I hope they have tennis balls in heaven Harley girl. I'll miss you.