Bambi was the best dog, a purebred rough collie and went through rough times too.  She had the life of a princess.  Her family loved her and as did most of the neighborhood too.  She was forced to have her barker taken out, because of one nasty neighbor who ended up moving within weeks after the operation.  He wasn't well liked around town anyway.  At a very young age she was dog knapped from our backyard, she NEVER left the yard for any reason.  We found her 3 days later in the icy river in the middle of February.  The caring staff (which I am now part of, at Companion Animal Veterinary Clinic showed so much compassion in nursing her back to health.  Although from then on she had a serious heart condition which left her with a horrible cough and medication for the rest of her life.  She lived on for a couple of years being pampered even more.  Just before my eleventh birthday I remember my mom coming to me and crying I didn't understand what it was but the vet told us she had a very fast moving bone cancer.  On my birthday she had her left hind leg amputated.  She did just fine, although in pain and I knew it, I just didn't know how to handle that my best and only childhood friend wouldn't be around much longer.  I prayed everyday to keep her going.  Then soon realized I needed to start praying to bless her and let suffer no more.  She lived until October that year, when I heard awful scraping and scuff noises outside during a storm (she slept in a large house outdoors)and to this day the noises remain a mystery to me.  I was the only one who heard them though out of my whole family.  The next day, she was rushed into the vet clinic again, Dr. Dale Stephenson came to our car, scooped the 75 lb. collie up and carried her to an exam room.  We had to make the decision.  Dr. Donna Jack cried as we cried, watching her take those final breaths of life tore me apart inside and out.  Even though being a kid, I knew it was the right thing to let her go.  Before she left, she took what strength she had left, and placed her right paw in my hand and I had to leave.  My mom held onto her for the remainder of her life, which was not but minutes anyway and she went peacefully, with an angel's touch.