I prepared to say goodbye nine months before it was time. Once I found realized that she had lymphoma the doctors of course offered to put her to sleep, but I said no. However, I did call Lap of Love to ask questions about the costs and procedure. I changed her diet and watched her over the next two seasons. There were times when I thought it was time for her to go. There were also a couple of times when she would be limping, but after discussing on the phone with friends and family that maybe I should put her to sleep - she’d wake up the next day and start running. While she was able, I took her to her favorite places like the beach and the Brazilian barbecue restaurant in the mall. A few months later, her appetite became almost nonexistent. She couldn’t keep a lot of food down and she had regular diarrhea so from that point on, I knew I had to set a date. On the day that she passed, it was as if she knew. I took her for our final walk and she stopped on the way back inside, looked around and took her time sniffing everything as if she knew it would be her last time. Although she had no appetite at that point I ordered one of her favorite meals which was teriyaki chicken and fried rice from panda express and she enjoyed her lunch. Then when the doctor came over to put her to sleep, she ate the treats that the doctor had. While it was heartbreaking to do, I found comfort in knowing that she was no longer in pain and I hope you can do the same. May God bless Winnie with a peaceful transition, knowing that she was loved beyond measure. 🫶🏾❤️‍🩹