SHE came to us as a New Year gift from our neighbour. A roly poly ball of golden fawn of the canine species. I was a trifledisappointed at her sex. The female of the species presents problems, be it canine, feline or human.
    .
        The first task was to choose a name. At that time a TV series, Every Night Josephine was on, in which a dog of that namedelighting audiences with her superlative performances. I thought of giving this name to the new arrival but was promptlyby the family who pointed out that a favourite aunt bore that name and she - the aunt, not the puppy - might take it. Besides, what would Napoleon Bonaparte say? Why disturb the little Emperor in his eternal sleep? When the dog was for medical formalities she was registered simply as ''Doggie.
    .
        ``She quickly grew up to be a fine specimen conducting herself with dignity and poise as she would sit by my side in the car and majestically out as if to say: I am the monarch of all I survey. At home she was a queen. Not for her the kennel or the. She would sit lady-like on a chair. Doggie and her playmate the tom cat would frolic around in gay abandon. They would also share a meal from the same bowl. The relations between them were not mere unarmed neutrality but cordial intimacy. They became the cynosure of all eyes. Little children on their way to school would stop and pet her. Devout ladies returning from church would stop a while to admire her was bliss all round this peaceful scene slowly but sadly a shadow began to loom.
    .
        On the right side of her body a tumour was seen to come up.as a pea-sized growth it soon developed into a large one and became almost as large as a football. The family vetsurgery. Doggie was taken to the veterinary hospital. She was put on the operation table. The performing surgeon, after a careful, said that it would be difficult to stop the bleeding once the surgery was done. He pointed out that there were quite a few other tumours coming up on the lower portion of the body. And they were. The practical, though painful, course was to put her to sleep is astounding how pets interpret and understand the language of the humans. She looked piercingly into my eyes. Eye spoke to eye with the dumb rhetoric of emotion. Her message was crystal clear: I can bear the pain. Please do not put me to sleep. I want to live.Just God! Am I the guilty one that I should drink to its very dregs such a cup of bitterness!

    Think about it!!!