This book reflects my experience in caring for my own spiritual and psychological needs as I cared for a very critically ill dog by the name of Winston. Winston is my labradoodle. His mother was a white Labrador, and his father was a black poodle who was four years old when I discovered he was suffering from Addison’s disease. I’m now retired, however; I spent my life as a Presbyterian minister serving congregations and then for the last twenty-four years mostly faith-based nonprofit organizations as a professional fund development executive.

When Winston became ill, my focus was asking what I did wrong. It was almost as if all my theological training and sensitivity of pastoral care and psychology had exited my psyche. I was sure that Winston was going to die, and it was my fault. I felt an overwhelming sense of pain, fear, guilt, grief, and anticipated loss. It is my hope that this book will assist you and your family and living through the experience of your pet who is in critical trauma also living and daily caring for your pet.