From the Editor
In Memory of Rosco
I sometimes say I wish my wife would treat me like a dog. And that’s a good thing, because her dog — Sam — gets treated very, very well.
That’s not uncommon, though. Most pet owners consider their dog or other pet part of the family. A pet’s love is mostly unconditional, and it gets returned in kind.
And so losing a pet for many is tragic. I still recall bawling the day my mom told me Roxy, a Lab I’d lived with for most of the first decade of my life, was no longer with us. Roxy came to mind recently — and so did my other dogs who have passed: Feather, Fido and Junior — as I put together this animal-themed issue.
They were even more present to me when Mike Bird, vice president of UNO Advancement for the University of Nebraska Foundation, said goodbye to Rosco, his family’s Silky Terrier of 14 years. That was a hard hit for his wife, UNO graduate Karen Bird, and their family. Most especially their daughter Kacey.
Fortunately, the Birds have two other dogs at home to help with their grief, including Lab puppy Remi, pictured below with Kacey not long after Rosco’s passing.
But the sorrow remains, as you can tell from this letter Kacey wrote her parents. That’s reprinted here with her permission — and it might be the best thing we have for readers this issue.
Enjoy the read,
Anthony Flott, Managing Editor
PS – Yes, I named a dog Fido. Sure, it’s cliché, but do you really know any pooches with that handle? Now you do.