Ross Allen Johnson, The Best Dog That Ever Lived!

Ross Allen Johnson, My "Forever" Friend

Born 4/28/95, Died 9/19/05

Ross Allen was my best friend and constant companion for ten years. He was the best dog that ever lived, and I loved him more than words can tell. I miss him so very much.

This is his picture. Wasn't he a beautiful dog? His true beauty, though, was on the inside. He was gentle, loving, and sensitive. Ross Allen was the most intelligent dog that I have ever seen.

I called him my "granddog," since he was rescued from the dog pound by my daughter when he was only eight weeks old. He was supposed to be her dog, but I'll get into how he became my dog a little later.

Ross Allen would want people to go away from here, after they had read all the text and had viewed all the pictures, not crying over his death, but warmed by the stories about his life and about the joy that he brought to those around him. His life was all about making the people who knew him happy, and, believe me, he sure did a great job of that!

I want to publicly thank some folks who have been so kind and so supportive as I have gone through this terrible ordeal.

First, I thank my wife for being by my side as I said goodbye to Ross Allen. She is not really a dog person, but she did care about Ross, and she understood how hard it was on me to give him up. I don't know how I could have survived this without her.

I thank our pastor, Rev. Ken Miller, for being there when Ross Allen was put to sleep. He was right there in the room with us. God bless you, Pastor. Thank you for understanding how great the love and how strong the bond can be between a person and a dog.

I thank Dr. Steve Berry, Ross Allen's vet, for his patience and for the compassionate way he handled the situation when Ross Allen was put down.

I thank Kathi Hill for coming to the office on a day off in order to be there for Ross Allen and me. Kathi only works Saturdays at Dr. Berry's office now, but she used to work full time, and she always knew what a special doggy Ross Allen was. I had asked her if she could possibly be there on Monday, 9/19/05, for Ross Allen's appointment, since I was so afraid that it would come down to his being put to sleep. She was kind enough to do that, and I will be eternally grateful for her presence that day.

Of course, I thank the Lord for His grace that has seen me through these terrible times. I thank God for the ten wonderful years that Ross Allen and I shared together.

I began working on this page on Friday night, 9/23/05. I finished Sunday night, 9/25/05, if there really is such a thing as being finished. It is now 10/25/05, and I have already revised the pages several times and have added the new page, "Random Recollections."

Please sign my guestbook. The link is on the "Contact Me" page. The comment section below is NOT the guestbook.