The Life and Times of Sugar

Dear Sugar's Fan Club,
As you may know, my beloved dog Sugar recently celebrated her 15th birthday. She is remarkable shape for a dog at her age and is still full of life, love, and of course, golden shedding. However, she has been slowing down as of late, as old dogs do, and it is no secret that she will be moving on to greener pastures filled with many geese to chase sooner rather than later.

Sugar has had incredible life filled with some quite exciting adventures. Despite her humble beginnings as a shy, timid, & abused rescued puppy, she has reigned as the queen of "pet me now" and won over every reluctant dog person she has ever met. She has lived in Virginia, Maryland, Michigan, Massachusetts, and Illinois, attended classes at Smith College, Mount Holyoke College, and the University of Michigan, and marked her territory in at least fourteen states, as well as the District of Columbia and several places in Canada. She worked an anti-homesickness consultant in the Junior Girls Division at Interlochen Arts Camp for three summers and a belly rub specialist in the Mount Holyoke Biology Department for three semesters. In Chicago, she earned her reading specialist certificate with the "Sit Stay Read" program and enjoyed pacing the shores of the Montrose Dog Beach. In between her jobs, she has chased nearly every bird she has ever seen, found every person with food in their pocket, and graced all surfaces she has contacted with her golden fur.  


Sugar has always been know for bringing people together. Her most successful matchmaking plot was in 2007 at Interlochen, when she charmed my now fiance, Alex, who watched her while I was away for a weekend. It's no surprise to me that Alex first fell in love with Sugar before eventually falling in love me with.


Over the years, Sugar has had several canine siblings. She currently enjoys the company of her pug sister, Skittles, and they cuddle almost every night. 


As I face the reality that we will have to say goodbye to Sugar in the near future, I am comforted by knowing that she has brought joy, laughter, compassion, and love to many people from all walks of life, of all ages, and in diverse places. I know that many of you also love and care about Sugar. I decided to start this blog to give all of us to share our memories of Sugar. I hope to eventually create a book of your stories and photos of Sugar to keep her spirit of love alive long after her time. 


Please share your memories, thoughts, and stories about Sugar in the comments. If you have photos you would like to share, please email them to me and I will post them. 

Thank you for caring and loving Sugar for all these years.

Kate