The cold is what really sealed the deal and ruined our family. It went straight through to the bone, and it was hard to keep warm even in the house. That winter was the figurative straw that broke Josie’s back.

Her movements had been slower and slower those last few months. She could hardly keep up with her big sisters as they played in the yard.

There were spots of fur that fell out and left patchy spots all over. Josie’s bark had fallen away into a faint whimper, especially when she bumped into something or would have bad dreams.

When it all started with that first visit to the vet, before the sickness really set in, the Morton family had known would be a very tough fall.