Dear Hillary, Mark, Gaby, and Alyssa,

The news of Reuben's death was such a shock, and I am so sad for all of you.  I know that he brought great love to each of your lives and had so much to give to others through your therapy dog work.  The hole in your hearts must be so big right now.  I hope that all of the memories and joyful experiences you had with Reuben will begin to fill it over time.

Holly Parker

Dear Hillary, Mark, Gaby, and Alyssa,

We are so sorry to hear about Reuben's untimely passing. He was an incredible dog - leaving a legacy of goodwill, devotion, and true companionship.  We will always remember him jumping off the dock (at first with trepidation) but then with immense joy and his cruising around on the jet ski with a huge grin.  And of course I never minded "sharing" my burrito with him - it was a small (infrequent) price to be in his company.  He will always hold a special place in our hearts and we will never forget him. We look forward to swapping more memories of Reuben with you. Holding you close in our hearts.

Love,

Jeff, Mary, Baxter, Bea & Copper

Dear Hillary,

I am so sorry for your loss! Reuben was a beautiful, loving and smart guy.

I first met you and Reuben when you enrolled in my Beginner Novice class about three years ago. We immediately knew Reuben was too advanced for that class, so you correctly moved to a higher level class. It was a delight to see you excel with him. I will miss him in the Friday Open A class, but will look to the examples he set as a dedicated, hard working dog.

May your many memories of Reuben and all the wonderful things he did bring you comfort in the coming months. My sincere condolences.

Shirley

Hillary,

My heart breaks for you. Reuben was an amazing and beautiful dog.May your memories bring some level of comfort. He was such a special presence; mellow, strong, and confident. I swear his face lit up when he looked at you. We are fortunate to have dogs in our lives and the only tragedy is the short time they are with us. May your memories bring some level of comfort. ❤️ 

So sorry to hear about Reuben's passing.  He was such a great dog.  I think he was Wednesday's favorite friend at Capital.  It is never easy to lose out friends.  He will be missed.  My heart goes out to you and your family.

Reuben was and will always be our most cherished friend.  There is so much we can share about Reuben’s life and the joy he brought to each of us and those who knew him best - his many accomplishments as Hillary notes, his love of our girls and their love of him, how he made us all feel safe, the bond he formed with Hillary that always made me appreciate how special they were to one another, the warmth, love, and devotion in his eyes as he gazed longingly into Hillary’s eyes.  The running joke was that I never looked at my wife the same way Reuben looked at his mommy!  

For me, my special memories involved our walks through the neighborhood and around Bethesda, morning coffee and pup cups at Starbucks, a bagel for me and a mini bagel for Rue at Bethesda Bagels, trips to the barber where he’d lie patiently at my feet as I got my haircut, our visits to the park, our time at the lake jet skiing together, throwing the ball, chasing sticks, boat rides,  our upcoming adventures as my K9 co-pilot, dinners out, travel to far away places, time cozying in bed, and so much more.  

He was the center of our universe and a constant source of love and affection.  Rue will always be with us, in our thoughts and our hearts.   We miss you so much and hope your memories of us are as fond as the memories we have of you.   We love you, Rue, always.