In 2003 My boy Ben (pictured here) had been seriously ill and getting sicker for some time.
I promised myself that if he lived, he would be the first thing I would take a photo
of when my new camera arrived. Well he made it to the new camera's arrival so here is The very first photo taken last year with the Canon 10D.
I had forgotten about this photo until just now and I think it is only fitting that it takes its place in my "soul of the dog" gallery.

Ben contracted Ehrlichia in the fall of 2002 and we treated it and thought he was cured. Then, early in 2003 he relapsed and this time became very ill. Just days before this photo was taken he hadn't eaten in weeks and was unable to walk. He is wearing a shirt to cover the drains that were put in his leg to deal with the massive infection he had there. The shirt serves to keep him from licking at and pulling out the drains. He really was a frightful looking mess in this photo as most of his body was affected by this disease. You can see that his head is just bones with some skin hanging on them. Those were terrible months.

I am happy to report that although Ben was sick for close to a year, he survived the ehrlichia and continues alive and well to this day. He was a trooper throughout his illness and continues on as an unflappable trooper. Everyone who knows Ben seems to love him. He has a spirit about him that is unyielding, and the sweetest and most even disposition.

In this gallery you can see other photos of him taken during healthier times.