Christie Blatchford

Globe and Mail

A friend of mine is, at this moment, travelling on vacation with her family and a very ill dog.

Their vet said, before they went, that they should put the dog down, but my friend, wiser than she knows in such matters, knew the little mutt wasn't quite ready yet, and so they are accommodating her as they go, staying in hotels where dogs are welcome, plying her with treats from doggie room service to whet her fading appetite, keeping the children informed, so they know the score and are being more tender with her even than they ordinarily would be.