[AgentZero]

Deepest sympathies, Atrocities. My dog of 13 years had to be put down two years ago. Worst part about it was he was in Canada and I was in Ireland, so I wasn't even able to be with him when he went. Took me a long time to forgive my parents for not telling me until after he was gone.
But now, even though I'm admittedly pretty misty-eyed after reading through this thread, whenever I think back about the ol' boy it doesn't take long for me to think of something he did that makes me smile, or even laugh out loud.
And I think that's the sign of a truly good pet. They're only there for a short time, but in that time they enrich our lives and make our world a better, happier place.