We met Tyler in June of 2000 when we decided to do foster care for L.E.A.R.N. He was just about to turn 7. Our intention was for Tyler to stay in the "non-carpet" areas of the house. That lasted one night. The second night, he could go anywhere up to the hallway to the bedrooms. On night three, he was sleeping in bed with us. When we got him, Tyler had a bladder infection and a torn muscle in a back leg. He was a little skittish; he would jump at sudden loud noises. He also had mild seizures, but regular medication took care of that. He healed up quickly and settled right in. A few short weeks later, we decided to adopt him; he fit into our lives so well. That was our first and only attempt to do foster care for L.E.A.R.N.

Tyler was a true "jock." He loved chasing a tennis ball fast and hard almost more than he loved to eat. He could outrun all the younger labs in the family. He was unbelievably focused; he would chase a tennis ball through a crowd and not seem to see anything but the ball. Tyler had another special talent with tennis balls; he could pop them, and then peel them like an orange. He also loved playing in the snow, going for walks, camping and riding in the truck. He really enjoyed anything that he could do with us.

Tyler developed a very aggressive and devastating form of cancer in the vessels of his lungs. He got very sick, very fast. We made the very painful decision to put him down when his lungs were filling with blood and all options for improving his health had been explored. We buried him at a family home by a lake, next to a family dog he loved to play with. He was 11 1/2, too young in our opinion.

Tyler was with us for all the best parts of our lives. We got him right before we got married. He moved into our first house with us and was around when our daughter was born. We are just astounded by how much he enhanced our lives. We will never forget Tyler; we miss him dearly every day. He may have been considered lucky to find a good home for his remaining years, but really, we are the lucky ones.

We would like to thank Dr. Schley at the Oregon Veterinary Clinic in Oregon, WI for his compassionate care of Tyler during a difficult time.