Thank you everyone for your very kind comments and helpful advice. Please accept my condolences to those of you who have lost best friends and family members too.

Training her as a therapy dog sounds like a wonderful idea. When my children were young we used to visit seniors homes and the kids would sing, play an instrument etc. I miss those visits! This will bring back some wonderful memories too!

I have looked locally (Greeneville, TN too!!) and we are also checking Kentucky, North and South Carolina so I'm sure we will eventually find her. I'm not usually picky about things but this girl will be a very close member of my family so it's really important that I find the perfect dog for me and my small herd of cats.

I understand the facilities concerns about giving a dog to an older person, that may be part of the problem with being able to move forward on this. My daughter and son-in-law have already offered to care for her should something happen to me. Maybe I should mention this on applications.

I was reluctant to "replace" my Abby until my son-in-law sent me this. I still haven't been able to read it through without a tear or two but this is exactly what Abby would have wanted.

Before humans die, they write their last will and testament, giving their home and all they have to those they leave behind. If, with my paws, I could do the same, this is what I’d ask…

To a poor and lonely stray, I’d give my happy home; my bowl and cozy bed, soft pillow and all my toys; the lap, which I loved so much; the hand that stroked my fur; and the sweet voice that spoke my name.

I’d will to the sad, scared, shelter dog the place I had in my human’s loving heart, of which there seemed no bounds.

So, when I die, please do not say, “I will never have a pet again, for the loss and the pain is more than I can stand.”

Instead, go find an unloved dog, one whose life has held no joy or hope, and give my place to him.

This is the only thing I can give…

The love I left behind.

My wonderful dog died a few weeks ago and my daughter and son-in-law have offered to get me a dog for Christmas. However, the process is incredibly long. I understand that they are seasonally busy and that applications take some time to process but every time I see a dog I like, I send a query, then a week or two later they tell me that the dog was already adopted. Also, our local shelter insists on a new application for every dog that one might be interested in. Anyone know of a way to get something done a bit quicker? Am I doing something wrong here? Even a shelter that has had my approved application on file for over a year is very slow to respond.

I would much prefer a rescue or shelter dog but at this point my son-in-law said it would be much faster to go through a breeder.

My wonderful dog died a few weeks ago and my daughter and son-in-law have offered to get me a dog for Christmas. However, the process is incredibly long. I understand that they are seasonally busy and that applications take some time to process but every time I see a dog I like, I send a query, then a week or two later they tell me that the dog was already adopted. Also, our local shelter insists on a new application for every dog that one might be interested in. Anyone know of a way to get something done a bit quicker? Am I doing something wrong here? Even a shelter that has had my approved application on file for over a year is very slow to respond.

I would much prefer a rescue or shelter dog but at this point my son-in-law said it would be much faster to go through a breeder.

My wife & I work, volunteer, for a breed specific dog rescue organization here in Michigan. Most of our dogs come from breeders(puppy mills) and most are damaged physically & emotional and require extensive vet work. A good healthy young dog comes with a price tag of approx. $300 to $350, older dogs are less depending on several factors. That price doesn't even come close to paying the vet bill for 99% of our dogs. Imagine a 7 yr old dog so frightened that it can't be touched, with bad & broken teeth, heart-worm disease, mange, fleas etc. Now imagine that same dog a yr later made whole, up for adoption at $200. Cheap at twice the price. Our first dog we fostered was frightened of grass. She had never see grass & couldn't stand to have it touching her. She had sired 5 litters & was no longer of any value to her owner. Her fate was "rescue" or "death". She now lives with a loving family in Wisconsin. ADOPT FROM A RESCUE

My wonderful dog died a few weeks ago and my daughter and son-in-law have offered to get me a dog for Christmas. However, the process is incredibly long. I understand that they are seasonally busy and that applications take some time to process but every time I see a dog I like, I send a query, then a week or two later they tell me that the dog was already adopted. Also, our local shelter insists on a new application for every dog that one might be interested in. Anyone know of a way to get something done a bit quicker? Am I doing something wrong here? Even a shelter that has had my approved application on file for over a year is very slow to respond.

I would much prefer a rescue or shelter dog but at this point my son-in-law said it would be much faster to go through a breeder.