Thank you for your kind words Slipknot1. My deepest sympathies for your tragic loss of such a young companion. I thought I'd share this parable with you (and others who may have had to face a similar loss) that gave us some comfort:
"In my dream I noticed two sets of prints in the sand, one was mine, the other my dog's.
But in times of trouble there was only one set, mine.
I asked my dog why he would leave me in bad times, and he replied,
"My dear master, I love you and would never leave you,
when you saw only one set, it was then that I was off protecting you."
Keep your strength.
Marco