I know how you feel.
I have had 3 dogs so far: Shep a Collie (Lassie Type) was put to sleep after a brave fight with cancer, he was 15 and had a good life; Samson a German Shepherd, who would take on anything that tried to harm you, contracted hepatitus, went blind and passed away on the same night, he was 8. After this I vowed never to have another dog again, until I returned from work only to find a small ball of fur having a whale of a time, exploring the garden; Zara a Black long-haired German Shepherd is now 8. I'm glad my parents sneaked her over.
