My sweet Owen crossed the Rainbow Bridge tonight (5/5/14) suddenly and quietly. He came in from the back yard with Ariel, lay down in front of his favorite chair, and slipped away. I adopted Owen from Lucky Star Cavalier Rescue two days after Christmas in 2010. I had not been at his foster mom's house more than fifteen minutes before he climbed into my lap and claimed me as his own. Easy-going, always with a smile, Owen was the quiet leader of the Giles brigade. He was usually in charge of notifying the rest of the group that I had driven into the driveway at the end of the day, and he considered it his duty to protect us from all animals on the television. He never objected to Cavaliers on TV but any other dog, cat, horse, cow, or gecko received a warning from Owen.
Owen was everyone's favorite. He had a way of looking at you that said, "Welcome, friend, and be at home here," that seemed to appeal to people and pups alike. He was always an easy friend to new fosters and accepted any and all into the group.
Born with deformities in his legs and hips, Owen had a rolling gait that kept him from running much, but he loved to wrestle, especially with his buddy Riley and with my son Michael. In recent months he was teaching Ariel to wrestle too, and the sight of 35 pound Owen playing with 13 pound Ariel was a treasure!
So run free, my big sweet boy. Run in the sunshine with Casey and Tanner, free from pain and sorrow. You are forever in my heart!