Rest in peace Mr Traz

It seems like just yesterday that we drove to Washington State to look at a 13 month old GSD name Alcatraz. He was skinny as a rail, but the sweetest dog you could ask for. He took Lance by the hand and led him into the house of the people he lived with, it was the oddest thing I had ever seen. Traz had trained for a year to be a guide dog, but never could over come his barking at people when they came around a corner. He barked at me for the first couple of years he lived with us. He was my husbands dog, or so I always say, however he spent most of the last 6 years with me. I loved walking him, he was kind and friendly to other dogs and people. This picture is last year at a little house we rented in Bend. It was Traz's weekend...! Nixie and Avery stayed at the kennel. Traz had more fun this weekend than I ever remember him having. He even jumped up on the bed between Lance and I. He hadn't done that in years! Traz continued to go to work with us every day up until I became ill this past June, I couldn't handle all three anymore, so he graciously stayed at the house, never complained about being left behind. He started acting ill the past few months, just so tired after a walk. Then this month he stopped eating dog food. I was fixing him chicken noodle soup and eggs which he ate and enjoyed. On Monday 10/11 he got horribly sick in the afternoon and by evening I had to nearly carry him upstairs. Nixie slept with him for over an hour in the evening, something she hadn't done in years and years. At bedtime Traz got up, came in our room like always, and fell down next to the bed, soon after that we carried him down to the car and headed to the emergency vet clinic, He passed quietly sometime during "his last car ride" The vet guessed the he had cancer of the spleen. Its painless and has no cure, I was glad to hear both.

He was deeply loved, a great companion to all of his human and animal family and will be sadly missed.