It was so invasive that the best choice would be for her not to be awakened. By then, everyone at the vet’s office had grown attached to our little love angel. The staff often commented on what a special dog Prana was. The vet’s voice broke when he told me the sad news.

He later said that Prana’s case had been very unusual. Apparently, Prana tried so hard to stay alive that her intestine wall had started to grow new healthy tissue around one of the tumours. But the cancer had already taken too heavy a toll on her body, and she couldn’t heal.

We weren’t the only ones, though, who suffered from losing Prana. About a year before Prana’s death, we had adopted a new kitten and named him Feisty. Before Prana died, she raised Feisty as a well-behaved dog, letting him eat her food, showing him how to greet us at the door, and teaching him other uncatlike things to do in our family.

The loss of Prana was heart wrenching for all of us. We were amazed at how empty we felt without her in our lives. But Feisty mourned for his big sister most of all. For hours, he’d sit at the window, looking and waiting for her to return.

Two years after Prana died, Linda and I decided that we were finally ready to adopt another puppy. We knew no one could replace Prana, but we felt that our family needed the special brand of unconditional love that only a puppy can deliver. A puppy would also be a companion for Feisty. — Beliefnet.com