Clay's dog

Zachary came to us as a puppy.  He was emaciated; you could see every bone in that dog's body.  He was given up along with his father and an unrelated female shepherd. They were all very thin and both Zach and his father had a digestive problem that prevented them from getting much nutrition out of the little bit of food they were given.

When we got them home, Clay brought a very skinny and scared Zachary into the house and laid on the sofa with him.  The bond was formed.  I'm the one who fed him, took care of him, and dealt with his messy and disgusting dietary requirements, but Clay was the one he loved from that day forward and it never changed.

That's Zachary greeting Clay when he arrived
home from work, along with Emmylou, Cabell
Molly, and Bremo.  Only Cabell and Bremo remain
from that group and they are 13-14 years old.

Zachary with his food, raw food and grain-free
dry food.  He's looking at me instead of the food
because he would only eat when left alone with it.

Zachary laying in the shade in the dog yard.
That's Ryland on his right.

Zachary at the vet.  He was one of the easiest
and most cooperative dogs we've had when it
came to handling and treatment at the vet.

Zach was a poster boy for a variety of ailments that disproportionately afflict German Shepherds.  We learned a lot and have applied what we learned to a lot of other shepherds that came our way over the years.

He got to spend the weekend at home close to Clay, which was always his favorite thing to do.  But we were seeing no signs of any improvement in his condition and his quality of life was no longer what we would wish for ourselves or any of our dogs.  It was time to let him go.  

Zach in the front room next to Clay's chair.
He would get Clay up early so they could
spend time there before Clay went to work.
Clay might have preferred to sleep a little more,
but he would get up and sit with Zach.

  

Zachary epitomized the breed in many ways but particularly in his loyalty and devotion.

It is my hope and wish that everyone has a Zachary in their life, and even more so, I hope that we can all be that dog -- that devoted and that loyal -- to someone else.