Coming to the realization that we can no longer fix a beagle we’ve come to love so much.

There is nothing we wouldn’t do for a dear old beagle like Figgy Figgy Budd Budd.

Diapers when he needed diapers.

Bathroom breaks in the wee small hours so those diapers would stay dry, at least to the best of our ability.

Food trials to figure out what he loved best.

Complicated Pill Scheduling courtesy of his devoted Nurse Ellen.

Anything for Figgy. Anything for love.

Over the last 14 months, Figgy knew love like never before.

I know this from all the pics Ellen and Wayne would send me.

All the silly little stories about this silly old boy who stole their hearts one precious memory-filled day at a time. 

Every story of his newfound happiness filled me with gratitude and a continued sense of purpose.

Gratitude for the incredible friends we’ve made.

The foster parents we cherish - heart and soul.

Figgy stories. There are many, but a couple stand out for the girl behind the curtain.

The Saturday afternoon Figgy decided to help dad with the yard work.

A picture of Figgy looking over daddy's shoulder with such keen interest. It warmed my heart. He thought himself quite the Handy-Dog that day. Never mind the fact his idea of helping was taking a well-earned nap in the garage amongst the garden tools.

Or the time he swallowed a bug at the cottage and it got stuck on his tongue causing Ellen to go to dark places like…what if he swallowed that demonic bug and it grew into a sharp-toothed alien that exploded out of Fig’s tummy?!

That didn’t happen of course and once the bug disappeared, His Majesty was no worse for wear, resuming his Royal perch on the Muskoka chair to oversee his cottage kingdom like the King of all Kings! A king not at all afraid of a lowly bug.

All hail, Figgy! Another bullet dodged!

But sadly, there's no more dodging now.

The wheel chairs so kindly sent along for Figgy to try from our friends at Sheba’s Haven didn’t work.

His front legs have become almost as weak as his hind legs. It was our last ditch effort.

He can no longer hold himself up.

His health and mobility rapidly deteriorating, we know what we must do out of love.

He can't be a dog anymore let alone a proud king. He's struggling and he's so very tired of struggling.

But it never feels like love to end a life we’ve worked so hard to save.

And yet it is love.

It's love in its truest form.

We don’t own these precious souls.

We've simply been given the honour to share time with them no matter how long or how short that time may be.

We are better because of it.

And Figgy? Well Figgy is leaving this world celebrating the love he so dearly deserved even if it came late in his story.

But I have a hunch this is not where the story ends for Fig. His adventurous spirit would never allow it.

Not for a minute.

He’s too TRULY SCRUMPTIOUS for the story to end now.

Please light a candle in celebration of Figgy tonight and in solidarity with the family who will always love him.