Ellington lived to be about 15 and a half years young. I believed he enjoyed his life and had the will to live until the very last moment he knew he could not enjoy it any longer. “He’s more athletic than he seems”; his vet Dr. Jessica Hunter once mused years back during an examination. He looked a bit “filled out” (um, overweight), but because he loved to run and play, I guess had some muscle mass too that belied his state. Ellington did love to eat, as most dogs do, but he made eating and getting treats something of a ritual. If Maria and I were at the kitchen table eating, or even having coffee, he would stomp his paw requesting he be included: “You eat, I eat” was his mantra, I imagine.

He seemed clever and intuitive, but also caring and sweet, always happy see us at the end of the day. He walked off leash well (he was a bit of a rogue too), but always paid attention to us while walking, never going far and stopping at corners on command as he was taught.

He loved to watch baseball on TV, except when other dogs or horses appeared in commercials and blew his mind on their images that were right in front of him; he would bark loudly and fiercely until the commercial was over, which he assumed was because he barked and sent them away.

Ellington loved to lay on the sidewalk in front of our house and greet passerby’s, which earned him the “Mayor of Duncan Street” nickname, or just enjoy the sun on his deck. There is much else that I can add about him, but the most important thing is he loved us with all his heart and we loved him enormously right back. He never let us forget that, and we never will. His work with us here was done, and I am grateful he came along for the ride!
-Steve C. & Maria M.