Remembering Apollo

I had my dog euthanized last Thursday.
I can't say "put to sleep" and I'm not quite ready for "put to death" so "euthanized" works the best for me.
I had my beautiful Apollo for almost 12 years.
I had never before had a pet for 12 years.
His death was peaceful. I will never forget the kindness and compassion of my vet. She let me keep him in the back of my car and gave him the Big Pink Shot there so we didn't have to go through the trauma of moving him again. He still weighed 86 lbs so I was thankful to God that my hubby and I were able to get him into the car on the first try.
In some ways, Apollo was the heartbeat of our house. He was always there. Even when we were out of town, Apollo was there, guarding, sleeping, protecting. He protected my little reds when they were born. Nobody got past him unless I introduced them first. He would sleep on the landing going up the stairs where the little reds would be in their rooms and simply stand up if he didn't know who was coming. In his prime, he weighed almost 150 lbs. He looked like a giant polar bear.
So my heart is heavy.
This Sunday will be the blessing of the Animals--Apollo had gone with me for 10 years. But I give thanks to God for the memories I have of my Good Boy--and look forward to blessing the pets who bring unconditional love to our lives.
Peace,
RevMutha