To Bishop ....From Gavin

Dear Bishop,

Today my Nana told me that you would be leaving soon to go to a special school so that you can learn how to help the little boy or girl that you will soon be living with. Ever since you came to my Nana's house she has told me that we were only babysitting you until you were ready to go to school to learn how to be a real service dog. After you go to school you will be ready to help a boy or girl who is sick with something special and who needs a good doggie to be with them everyday. I asked her if I would get a doggie like you the next time I got sick, but she said that I would probably not need a special dog because hopefully I wouldn't be sick very long once I went to the doctor and got some medicine. Then I asked her if you could come back to us when the little boy or girl got well. She explained to me that you were going to be with a little girl or boy that had a sickness that would probably last a very long time. I guess you need to be their doggie for a long time then. It makes me sad that you have to go now, and I told Nana that I really wanted to keep my "crazy dog" at her house. I call you "crazy dog" because when you see me you get so excited that you go crazy! Molly and I think you are so funny!

I have so much fun playing with you, especially when I run on one side of the fence and you jump and bark at me on the other side and run up and down the fence. I also like playing ball and "keep away" with you. I really don't mind that you chewed the end of my bat...or ate my foam rubber football...or snuck away with one of my trains. You're still a really good "crazy dog" to me. When you came to live with my Nana you were so much smaller! Now you weigh more than twice as much as I do. And you eat a whole lot more than me, too. Maybe you have grown so much because Nana lets me feed you treats every day when you do your tricks. I sure love shaking your paw!

I'm glad we have a little more time together before you leave. I still need to teach you how let go of my baseball when you retrieve it after I hit it with my bat. You are very good at chasing after my ball and bringing it back to me, but you have very, very strong teeth! I sure have trouble getting that ball out of your mouth! We'll keep working on that!

I love you, Bishop the Crazy Dog!

Love, GAVIN