Remembering Anya

I've attempted to write this post a number of times over the last few weeks and I never seem to get farther than this:

Anya in harness - taken in Boston a few years ago.

Last month, I lost a friend. Her name was Anya and she was a guide dog. 

Anya the co-pilot, never one to be left out of anything, ever. :)

After writing this far, I start thinking about what Anya meant to me and have a difficult time putting that into words. Anya was Melissa's guide dog. Because of Anya, I met many extraordinary people and traveled around the world. 

Anya at a Dodger game.

Anya was always there, through all of it, not just a guide dog but a family member, friend, teacher, protector, troublemaker, co-conspirator, confidant. 

Melissa, Anya, Cancun and I. Melissa and I sort of match by accident!

She taught me everything I know about real guide dogs and the impact they have not only on their handler's life, but on the entire community. She was amazing like that. 

David, Melissa and Anya gear up for the rain during a trip to Seattle.

In May, ten year old Anya was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer called hemangiosarcoma. The vets told Anya's family to go home and love her for the few weeks before it was time to say goodbye. There was barely any grey hair peppered through her black coat. My heart sank for them, for her, and selfishly for me too. 

Anya in my car during one of many road trips.

But oh boy were those weeks filled to the brim with love. I stopped by as often as I could just to sit and watch Anya be Anya. She played with Saxon and Norton like she always did. One night, she shared a few of my french fries. :) Some days it was easy to forget she was sick, but then she would tire easily, the cancer having its way. 

The group at a wine store in Napa last summer.

I am so thankful for those last weeks to celebrate her,  even though she wasn't even my dog. I will really, really miss Anya.

Anya doing what she does best - allowing everyone to love her. Here it is a young boy with a visual impairment petting her side.