It is difficult to write any words that will accurately describe the LIFE that was Sophie. She made you love her; she wouldn't stop until you did. And we all did. Although she weighed only 36 pounds, everything about her was big: big bark, big heart, big brain, big, inoperable brain tumor.

It would have to be, to stop her.

This poor little stray girl came into our lives November of 1998, a week before Thanksgiving. Were we thankful? Not at first. She was not socialized, with people or dogs. She was not housetrained, she was not spayed. She bit me. She got car-sick. She was impossible to walk on-leash (more our fault than hers, I guess.) She had us in tears, often.

But nothing like the tears we shed when we lost her.

Because Sophie turned out to be the most incredible little dog. Smart, funny, loving, and yes, still trouble once in a while. In one of her last acts, she broke our living room window, having thrown herself at it one too many times to bark at someone who had the nerve to park in front of our house. We never thought we’d actually miss that mouth which was silenced way too soon.

Anyway, should you ever come across a scrappy stray in Fort Greene Park, be kind. Take her in. Because if we know Sophie, she’s coming back.