I was so happy they wanted to keep me because I had already lived in three "permanent" homes and several foster homes. But none of those homes wanted to keep me.

I was born on December 10, 1990. The nice people at Pug Rescue said I used to be a show girl.

I'm a very healthy girl, but in May 2000, I had to have an operation to remove a bladder stone. The vet called it a "calcium oxilate urolith." Now I have to eat special food that Mommy makes from scratch.

My very favorite thing to do in the whole world is sit on a lap. Any lap will do, but I especially like ones that come with hands that will pet me. I have very soft fur, but I shed an awful lot of it. Don't forget to bring your lint roller.

But whatever you do, don't make me get wet. I hate dew on the grass in the morning, rain of any kind, puddles and baths. And I really, really hate getting my nails trimmed.

Angel joined our family on July 7, 1998. She came to us through Pug-et Sound Pug Rescue, a division of Seattle Purebred Dog Rescue. Her previous person had died, so she needed a new home.

The vet who checked out Angel before we adopted her thought she was about 5-7 years old at the time.

In November 2001, we took Angel to the Seattle Veterinary Hospital for Surgery where Dr. Steven Stoll diagnosed her with a collapsed larynx. On a scale of one to three, with three being the worst, her larynx was a borderline two/three. We chose the better of two less-than-great options, a permanent tracheostomy.

While the tracheostomy went a great way to helping Angel breathe, it also came with its own set of risks. Following the surgery, the air she breathed went directly into her lungs, rather than going through the natural filtering of the upper respiratory system. The consequences of that became obvious when she was diagnosed with a case of pneumonia.

Ultimately, the risks and complications associated with the tracheostomy claimed Angel's life. But her health otherwise was far from perfect. At the time she left us, she was deaf and had arthritis in her front legs. She was missing about half her teeth, and she probably had some vision impairment.

Angel loved her Mommy very, very much. She had to know where Mommy was all the time, and if Mommy wasn't home, Angel would sit by the front door waiting for her. Angel followed Mommy everywhere. And when she wanted Mommy to pet her (which was frequently), she'd whack Mommy with her paw. She especially liked having her chest and tummy rubbed.

Angel always enjoyed walks -- sunshine or rain, daylight or dark -- and took care to mark her territory thoroughly and widely. She seemed to particularly like walks at Green Lake when there were lots of people around.

At home, she loved to sit on her blanket in the sunshine on the front porch. She was obsessive about cleaning her front paws, and she would chew on the toenails on her back feet. Birds and bicyclists would always draw her bark.

We are looking forward to being reunited with our little Angel in heaven. She will always have a very special place in our hearts.