Sigh. After 14 long years, my childhood dog passed away this morning. She hadn't been doing well lately, and the vet said that Sparky most likely had kidney failure, liver failure, or cancer.

We got her when I was in sixth grade. Though she had the propensity to occasionally gobble down an entire Domino's pizza when nobody was looking, she was devotedly loyal and protective. We were never sure what breed she was, but were convinced that she had some Australian Cattle Dog in her, based on her temperament and physical features.

It's especially sad to see her go, because she really was one of my last vestiges of childhood. She was with us all through middle and high school, and she made the exodus from my mom's house in 1999 with me and Kyle. Throughout college, teaching, and living in DC, I only got to see her sporadically. But when Kyle or I came home, she would immediately jump all over us and then proceed to growl, chase, and play with us just like she did when she was a puppy. It was both sad and heartening to see her this last holiday when it pained her to play, but did it as best she could for a minute or so.

Anyway, according to Wikipedia, her lifespan in human years was about 87 years. Not a bad run, Spark. You'll be missed.