Our dog Lucas was put to sleep at approximately 6:15 pm this evening, Tuesday, July 7, 2009. He went peacefully as his mama and dada petted him and told him we loved him. He was two years old.
Lucas was a beautiful black lab mix who was rescued as a puppy, first from the Baltimore City shelter to the Washington Animal Rescue League. It was there that he became a part of our family, when he was about three months old. As a puppy, Lucas was happy, laid-back, friendly to any dog or person he met, and eager to learn new things.
Unfortunately, Lucas had an incurable mental illness. As he grew to adulthood, he began to exhibit signs of chronic fear and anxiety. Sadly, his anxiety manifested itself in the form of aggression toward people. At first it seemed manageable and explainable  moderate, and most often toward strangers. However, more recently he was reactive toward children, and then he began to act aggressively toward members of our family.
The majority of the time, Lucas was a beautiful, happy, fun dog who loved hiking, playing in rivers, chewing on rawhide bones, romping with his dog friends, and of course spending time with his parents. We hope that his friends will remember him that way. It is a tragedy that the aspects of his personality that made him potentially dangerous ultimately outweighed all of the positive things that he was loved for.
We are heartbroken. We thank all of our friends for your thoughts and prayers. Thanks also for your understanding that this was a difficult decision that we made in the best interest of our puppy, as well as that of our friends and family.
Those who wish to honor Lucas’ memory are invited to support his friends at the Washington Animal Rescue League:
nocureforgravity 