Pets are not "just like my children" but....

This little man wormed his way into the heart of us all. He came to us and fit in the palm of my hand. Fully grown he was just shy of 4 pounds but he had the personality of a big dog. He would growl at any dog that dared to exit the house in front of him. He loved to snuggle making him the perfect lap dog from the start. He should have only made it to 8 or 9 years old but because of his stubbornness, he was 10 years and 9 months old when he passed away sometime yesterday morning. I have had pets come and go, and although I cared for them I did not equate them to my children. But then there are a special few that truly change my life and become one of the Dowlings... Smeagol aka Smooke was one.