RIP Maggie Mae Hampton

How often have you heard it said, "She (or he) was the best dog ever!" I had said it before in years past about a canine companion and was totally convinced at the time. Then Maggie came into our lives after the tragic loss of Savannah, our Border Collie. My wife and I went to a breeder looking for another Border Collie and there we met Maggie who was considered a mistake by the owner (one of the Australian Shepherds accidentally broke into the Border Collie pen and you know what came next). She was a yearling, looking tattered and sad. The owner said, "Take her for free she ain't worth much." We didn't. My wife was still reeling over the recent loss of Savannah and she was not ready. Two days later with tears in her eyes she pleaded, "We've got to save that poor dog." We did. That was thirteen years ago. Now our dear Maggie is gone. "Ain't worth much?" What a fool that breeder was. He gave away his greatest treasure and we benefited from more love than we could ever have imagined. The Eagles song "There's a Hole in the World" meant something totally different to me before. Now I know what it FEELS like. Was Maggie better than all the other wonderful dogs out there? They are all wonderful aren't they? How can a person call one the best? I can. Here is a link to a short story I wrote about Maggie: https://davidhamptonart.com/maggiemae...