My brother was always a dog lover, more so then the rest
of us I think. After lady went away to live with my grandpa, not a
euphemism, I really didn't care either way if we had a dog. He
actually went to the effort of requesting and re-requesting that he
be allowed to have a puppy. My parents gave in and got him a lab mix
that he named Mindy. Mindy was a good dog. She was gentle and playful
and fun. We would throw things and she would bring them back. That
seems like what a dog should do but that is not what our other two
did so it seemed like a luxury. She was smart and easy to train, and
just about the most perfect dog a couple of boys could want. That is
why she could not be long for this world. My mom took her to the vet
for routine shots and to be spayed and when she got home she started
acting weird. She got really sick and eventually went blind because
she had caught parvo at the vet and after she was recovered she was
still a sweetheart but she was severely handicapped by her blindness.
Her earnestness and desire to please in her diminished state made us
even love her more.
