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Abel, a Much Loved Service Pal

Abel at the Rainbow Bridge

It is with a broken heart I write this today. Yesterday Abel crossed over to the Rainbow Bridge.
He had gotten sick a couple of weeks ago but had seemed to be okay until Tues night. Without going into detail, we ended up at the vet yesterday morning and then were sent to the Specialty Vet in Seattle. Tests showed he had a large mass in his heart and a large mass in his abdomen that were both bleeding and were a very fast growing cancer. He could not even come home with us from Seattle because he was continuing to bleed. He was also having seizures which they don't know if were from the cancer spreading to the brain or the lack of oxygen from the blood around his heart.
Abel was a huge blessing in my life and taken away too early at only 6 years old. He has been with me every minute of every day since he was 8 weeks old because he was my service dog. I don't know how to live without him.
Abel brought joy and love to everyone he ever met in life. There was never ever a time we went out someone didn't comment on what a beautiful wonderful dog he is. He pranced so when he walked someone called him a Tennessee Walker.
Cancer has become so prevalent in our dogs today. If you are a backyard breeder or know someone who is, please discourage them from doing this. Only with proper breeding programs, can we even hope to breed healthier dogs.
Remember to love and care for your dogs everyday because they are just not here long enough.
I will love you forever Abel and thank you for all the blessings you gave me!

My First Entry

Woof!
My name is Abel and I am a Service Dog for my Mom, Alice. I can pick things up for her, brace to help her get up and down, and be a sturdy presence by her side when we go out. I can also go get the phone for her if she falls in the house.
Some people think it's wrong to make a dog work but I disagree. Helping Mom gives me a purpose in life and I love all the love and snuggles I get for helping her. And I get to go lots of places other dogs don't get to go. I have been to Disneyworld, Sea World, all over our nation's capital, Texas, gone on 2 cruises in the Caribbean, and on and on. So I have gotten to see lots of fun things and met lots of great people.
My mom also volunteer raises service dogs for other people with disabilities for Canine Companions for Independence. So I help to whip these new pups into shape. And we have gained lots of family from when these pups have gone on to new homes with their new partners.
We moved to WA state last year and I love it out here. I get to go swimming in the river and the lake which is my most favorite thing to do. We even went whale watching and I have never seen anything so big before! I did wish Mom would have let me swim with them though.
I have a distinctive "mohawk" between my eyes. Mom says it's a recessive gene (whatever the heck that is!) and would keep me out of the show ring but she says she loves it. She likes to tease the kids and push it into a zigzag and tell the kids I am really Harry Potter.
Hope I get to see you one day when I am out and about with Mom.
Tail wags and kisses,
Abel