Brandy was my last pet - we'd lost her to a kidney disease back in the Summer of '99, and for various reasons, I just never got another one. She was very special to me.

I picked up this basenji toy earlier this year to commemorate her, but I felt that it needed a little bit of work. The right ear was a bit scraped and needed a tad bit of repainting. I also dotted the eyes to give her that shine, that spark that I remember seeing every day. The biggest change is one that I will NOT be showing... let's just say that the toy was "anatomically correct", and I had to change it from a Brandon to Brandy.

Not a lot of people have heard of basenjis and before we got her, I hadn't either. They really are unique and fascinating dogs.

Some might find it silly for a grown man to still miss his dog after over a decade, but I don't care. She was a very important part of my life and of my family.