Two small wooden boxes sit on top of Cindy Young’s refrigerator, in Loveland, Coloiado, gathering dust. It’s a liitle ironic, considering what’s inside. One contains the cremated remains of Annie, her beloved Australian shepherd, who was euthanizedat age 15 five years ago. She was old and in pain, and her veterinarian could do nothing more for her. She had planned—still plans—on scattering Annie’s ashes in the Colorado foothills with the family gathered around, but somehow the family never gathered. The other box contained the cremated remains of Waddy Schnitzel (named in honor of cowboy poet Waddie Mitchell), a dachshund she inherited from a grown daughter. Waddy was euthanized at home by a different veterinarian four years ago after he washit by a car and critically injured. Young had no particular plans for Waddy’s remains but thought about maybe scattering them in the foothills alongside Annie’s. “Since we’ll be heading up there anyway,” she said.
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