Long before hair was being whipped back and forth and the Palin children were famous, there was a sled dog in Denali National Park named Willow. I thought the name was beautiful, and I declared that "If I ever get another dog, I will name her Willow!"
Fast forward seven months. Long story short, it was a Saturday afternoon, Jan. 20, 2001, filled with too much wine and not enough planning. We found ourselves at the Lake Elsinore Outlets of all places, and of course found the one entrance with a box of puppies that were "free to a good home." I took one look at the only golden puppy in the box (the rest were black merle) and she was declared my Willow.
My "accidental adoption" became the greatest dog anyone could ask for. The three-pound puppy in the box (that my mother thought to be a cat when I showed her!) grew to be a 60-pound Golden Retriever-Australian Cattle Dog mix. She had beautiful golden fur, giant cattle dog ears, the longest tongue I've ever seen, and a different look for every emotion. She also had a China Eye - part of her eyeball had no pigmentation.
Willow learned everything from her big sister Hunter, who she loved and admired. She went on to compete in agility training, achieved her Canine Good Citizen certification, and even had her picture on the front page of the LA Times, illustrating a story about the history of dogs. She even came to love her kitty cat step-siblings, and allowed them into her home (even though she loved to chase them up the stairs!) She was obsessed with tennis balls, and could play fetch for hours upon hours.
In August 2010 she was diagnosed with lymphoma. It was a shock to all of us, but because of the high treatment success rate, we decided to treat it. Every week she would hop in the car to go to her weekly treatments, where she was lavished with treats and attention. She never got sick until the end, and was truly inspirational during her treatment. Unfortunately the cancer was stronger than the chemo drugs, and five months after diagnosis she passed away peacefully at home on Dec. 28, 2010.
She is survived by countless humans and animals (even the cats!) who love and miss her dearly. Our home isn't the same without our sweet Willow dropping tennis balls at our feet.