We start a day with sadness of heart

Knowing that today we will part

With a beast that will live on in legend

Leopold came into our lives in bad shape

With ticks and fleas, scratching him as he rested

We quickly vanquished the pests, uncontested!

He knew two other great pets, Copper and Rev

Copper was great, but with beautiful baby Brenna could be testy

And Rev was super smart and Knoxie’s bestie

Leo was special and in 12 years

Taught us all lessons, calmed our fears

Was always content and never ever bit

Leo is part of a line of our families great pets

From Ginger, Snowy, Lady, Rascal and Fritz

They are the ones, quirky and kind

That live on in the memory of the family line.

We lay to rest a legend of the family,

he welcomed two children into the fold

loved and protected them in ways untold

While we say goodbye, today to part

We remember him as a work of art

In the end the ones we remember

Are the ones who were there in December

When the times are cold and heartache aplenty

They sit by your side and show us each kindness

They feel our happiness and our sadness

and they celebrate with us even unnoticed through our own madness

Have we appreciated them enough, certainly not

We gained much more from them than the love they got

They cared for us from beginning to end

He was loved by all…some who have gone before

But none of us could possibly love him more

His story lives on in our family lore.