How to Honor Your Trusted Pets after they Pass

We had a dog named Rocky, He was a border collie labrador mix. He was such a smart dog, that he could open any door in the house, He even knew what the word bath was and what it stood for. He would run and hide at the mention of bath, or shower that we had to start spelling it out. I got Rocky as a puppy when we lived in San Diego. He was such a big part of our family. After we moved to Squaw Valley he fit in right away. He loved the ability to run around on 10 acres, but he never went off the property. I think that he thought we needed to be looked after. He would never leave us unattended, he would keep watch on us at all times no matter what we were doing. We have a long driveway that is 600 feet long and there is no way to see the gate from our house or hear a car horn if you were inside. One day after eating lunch I walked outside and found a person bleeding by my backdoor. This person jumped my gate and passed up six signs that read keep out, private property, guard dog on duty, no trespassing, etc... Well my dog saw this person as a threat to my family and attacked him. Rocky bit off this mans thumb. Even though my dog was protecting my family, I lost my homeowners insurance and was sued for $30,000. My dog was doing what he was supposed to be doing, protecting our family, but due to the California State Law if any dog bites a person the owners are held liable. Shortly after this incident we had to go on a trip, It was an overnight trip. Before we left we made sure that our animals including Rocky had plenty of water and food. After we got back we could not find our Rocky, This was so uncharacteristic of our dog, He would normally be at our doors waiting to greet us when we would arrive home. Knowing our dog as well as we did we new that he was no longer alive. I miss my Rocky a great deal. After we Purchased our laser engraving machine, we went to school in Boston to learn how to operate this new piece of equipment. One of the very first things I engraved was my dog Rocky on a piece of granite. This is our dog on our property posing for a photo. I really do not approve of the laws in California, especially when it comes to illegal trespassing and protecting your property. Please leave a comment I would love to know what you're thinking.