We lost our 2 1/2 year old dog Brutus yesterday morning. He passed away in his sleep at the veterinary clinic, where he had been since Thursday. Last Wednesday he was a strong, athletic, happy sweet dog (aust shep/germ shep mix) in perfect health. A shining light in our lives, our eager playmate and the protector of our home. Thursday morning he could not get up out of his crate or move his back legs. He was diagnosed with acute ascending paralysis but the cause was never determined. All tests came up negative. The vets were as shocked as we were. Never in a million years did we expect this could happen to our beloved Brutey-dog. When I got the call yesterday I was convinced it had to be a terrible mistake. But he is gone. This all happened in the span of 4 days (one of which was my daughter's one year birthday) and my mind is reeling. We are all in a daze (me, hubby, 1 yr old dd and 13 yr old stepson). This dog was so integrated in our lives. We picked him out of a litter when he was just a few weeks old and brought him home at 7 weeks. He was gentle and loving with the baby and made mealtimes fun by snacking on all the crumbs she would throw on the floor. No matter how fussy she was, as soon as she saw Brutus she would start laughing. I was convinced that "doggy" would be her first word. I can't imagine never seeing him or hugging him again. I can't imagine moving on from this. I love having a dog but I can't imagine ever being able to love another one without missing Brutus. How do you get over something like this that also seems so unfair - he was taken from us before he was even 3 yrs old and we gave him the best of everything. The grief combined with the shock seems unbearable.