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In Memory   Keegan was a dog very close to the entire Lifetime Pet Centers family. Below is a memorial written by Dr. Miller for our girl Keegan.

Keegan 1995 to 2011

About 15 years ago when my son Nathan was home from TOSU he announced that he was going to get a dog, a Golden Retriever.  I gave him fatherly advice about responsibilities of a dog at school and soon realized that he was serious. The next morning he had a list of breeders to visit.  More advice was delved out;  Beware of the emotions of the first puppy seen and allow yourself to visit several places to be sure you've found right fit and ask the right questions concerning health issues, parental history, etc.

So, off Nathan and his mother went, instructions in hand, to their first visit on a farm in northern Kentucky. While Nathan was visiting with the first puppy, my wife started to explain to the breeder that this was their first visit, with several to follow when they both heard loud and clear,' I'll take her !'  And so the adventure began.

  I got to know Keegan that first summer while puppy sitting her on my days off. I thought it unusual that she never wandered off while I worked in the yard. She was always contented to chew on or retrieve sticks and watch me. We lived on a golf course and people passed by unnoticed by her. On her first day out a stranger waiting for his next shot, shouted out to me 'that's a damn fine dog' and disappeared up the fairway. I looked at Keegan and thought hmmmmm.

                                                 Off to College

  Keegan immediately settled into a house loaded with close friends and fraternity brothers. She took on her role as resident mascot and was the perfect host to the many people passing through. She grew up with these guys and I'm sure she played an important role in getting Nathan and all his roommates through school.  Stressed from classes, exams, girls, jobs? C'mon Keegan, let's toss. She'd retrieve balls until their arms went numb. Feeling blue? You'd find a ball in your lap and a smiling, panting dog challenging you. Need some quiet time? She'd lie at your feet in case you needed her [ball in mouth of course].

  On our first visit to campus we discovered the famous Keegan greeting.  She had a distinctive moaning as she would rush up to you, drop a ball at your feet pant and smile as if to say 'let's toss'.   This was her lifelong signal that you were her good friend and she had truly missed you.

  Time passed and Keegan grew up watching Nathan and friends endure the rigors of football games, parties, jobs, and classes as they progressed to graduation.  She was an adult now and she and Nathan were ready to start the next chapter.

                                      Get a Job and Start a Career

  Keegan and Nathan drove out west to Phoenix, Arizona for their first job.  They moved into a condo with Nathan's brother and many of their friends from school.  We worried about the heat, but she adapted easily; ball tossing was in early mornings and evenings. Nathan traveled a lot, but that was OK, Keegan was busy caring for her extended family.

Eventually Nathan's job took him to San Francisco and a dilemma. Because of cost of living there he would live in a shared small apartment in an urban setting. This would be totally unfair to the free spirited Keegan. The obvious solution was for her to move home with us.  Her first plane ride brought her back to Cincinnati.

  Again she quickly adapted to her new digs. She had my dogs to watch over and found another person to play ball with; me.  Her athleticism and eye-mouth coordination were amazing, chasing and snatching balls from the air.  She also taught me the game of 3 ball.  This game was usually played in the early mornings or late evenings usually after dark in the middle of winter.  You'd let her out to 'do her thing'. Of course it started with a tossed ball to loosen her up.  She'd quickly retrieve it and then drop it and stand and stare at me.  As I stood baffled by her refusal to return she repeatedly averted her stare to my feet and I finally looked down and found 2 more balls.  She had placed 2 balls in the back of her mouth along with the visible ball. She gave me the visible ball and as I threw it she dropped the other 2 and retrieved the first. Of course to finish the first round of the game the other 2 balls had to be tossed and caught. Then she'd return happily with all 3 balls and lay them at my feet. I was a good student and learned the game quickly.

  She had a daily routine with us that somehow changed on days that Nathan was due in for a visit.  She paced more and laid at the front door as if she knew 'something was up'.  On arrival, she'd give him that famous moan, drop a ball at his feet, pant and smile as if to say 'Good to see you, how about a toss'.  When he left she gracefully accepted his departure and fell back into her routine.

  Finally a new job [and a girl] brought Nathan back east to Charleston S.C.  He made the drive back and stopped to pick Keegan up.  After tearful goodbyes, she quickly made herself at home in the car and panted and smiled as if to say thanks and I think you people are ready to be on your own again.  Don't forget to visit.

                                                                              

                                                        Family

  Keegan was introduced to Emily and they rapidly bonded.  She quickly accepted her into the family. Her devotion was now shared between two.  Charleston was a perfect for her.  She loved to swim and water was everywhere.  She also discovered that many of the guys she lived with were now living in Charleston.  Life was good.

  Nathan, Emily and Keegan were finally married [she's in the photos!] and they eventually moved into a house. Just when life could not be better, she found herself with her own fenced back yard!  By now she was well into her middle age years and slowing down when surprise! A new arrival. Despite her arthritic back she readily accepted the baby crawling over and under her. She'd just pant and smile.  A very short time later the second baby arrived.  Again she readily accepted the new arrival.   When grandparents arrived she still greeted us with a ball in her mouth and those warm groans, saying how about a toss.  Out we'd go to play. By now she'd just trot after the ball. In the house she was contented to just have you roll the ball to her.  All those joyful years of jumping to catch and sprinting after balls were catching up to her. But you never saw her ever refuse a chance to play ball [on her modified terms].

                                                   A Life Well Lived

  Both babies were active and healthy, the oldest talking and running, the youngest crawling and starting to pull himself up.  Keegan was 15 now but still enjoyed the kids and modified activity. Then her health dramatically deteriorated.  In an odd way this was her last gift to Nathan.  She was obviously critically ill making Nathan's and Emily's decision easy.  She'd cared for them all her life and she finally needed them to have the courage to let her go.   I think Keegan knew she could not live to watch the children grow up and they would eventually need their own puppy to grow with. 

On that last day I'm sure her message to Nathan was, Old friend, we've accomplished a lot together. I helped get you and your friends through college, I've travelled all around the country with you and finally helped you start your family. Now the time has come for me to move on.  But never forget, my spirit will always be with you.

                                                    A   Postscript

That night Nathan attended his annual fantasy football meeting probably to help relieve the stress of the day.  The meeting quickly evolved into a wake with all the guys eagerly sharing their Keegan stories. It was truly a celebration of an amazing life. I’m always amazed at how many hearts Keegan touched.

 

So here's to you Keegan, a Buckeye for life and a friend forever. 

Farewell, my friend.