This year has been a rough one for my family. Our furry grinch of a dog, "Babs," passed away from a tumor on September 10 just a few weeks shy of turning 13-years-old.

Losing a dog is one of the most unpleasant things a human being can go through. It's every bit as painful for some as losing a human counterpart, whether it be a lifelong friend, relative or immediate family member. Our old girl took her last breath at an animal hospital in Jerome about 13 weeks ago.

I have numerous Twin Falls co-workers and friends who also lost furry family members this year. Old age, disease, terminal illness, accident--there is no easy way to say goodbye. I would like to acknowledge anyone out there who lost a dog in 2021, and send my heartfelt condolences.

Babs loved Christmas. She used to enjoy ripping open wrapping paper. She would always fetch this old, stained, mangled-up football chew toy on Christmas Day. It was like she remembered Christmas and football go together. And of course, table scraps of turkey and partially eaten buttered rolls were her favorite.

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Babs' final day (Sept 10, 2021) ; Greg Jannetta
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She started getting very sick in July, and by September we knew her quality of life had reached the point that she needed to be free of pain. She passed while we all held her in a circle, praising her for being a good dog and telling her we loved her. Her old sniffer had worn to something unrecognizable after nearly 13 years of smelling carpets and floors, and rubbing it across the cement and pavement.

Babs' remains sit entombed in a beautiful wood box next to some of our most prized holiday pieces, and right next to the ashes of my German Shepard, "Chance," whom we lost when Babs was just a year old.

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Greg Jannetta
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RIP Bruce The Dog

Dogs as best friends

Idaho Moose

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