How very nice, Rebecca, that you feel this way. It's sweet that you brought your dog to the fundraiser, and that she enjoyed the outing from the comfort of the backpack.

As you mentioned, some people trade in their older pets for younger ones. To me this is a really rotten thing to do.

Getting an animal companion is a lifetime commitment, in my view. Sometimes they develop issues as they age, sometimes they just slow down. Whatever the case, they are always there for us, and we need to be there for them, until the end.