Our last dog, Kaitlin, another long-haired German Shepherd, was with us for about 10 years, along with three cats for company. Kaitlin was very gentle and people-oriented, and was known and liked by all the many neighbors walking our street. She died of cancer in November 2007, and two of our cats died around the same time.

I am left with Beau Brummel, a very dog-like cat who walks me to the mailbox and keeps me company in the garden, and who, like me, is very lonely and misses Deni a lot.