The November 21, 2010 pup of the week is brought to you by the number 12

Unfortunately, so many of us here at the Tanner Brigade have had that evil monster Cancer move in with us.  It sits in our living room while you watch TV, it sleeps in your bed, it sits in the back seat of your car when you travel, and, if it has nowhere to sits, it occupies the deep recesses of your mind.

The only way to eradicate this evil is for all traces of it to be removed from your body, then it slips away into the darkness, even though it retains the right to pop back into your mind at the least expected time.

When my Mom had the evil Cancer move in with us she found the greatest relief in talking with others.  When she retires she is planning on joining cancer support groups to help those who suffer.  Luckily she has never had a pup who has had cancer, but the same monster moves into your home when someone you love contracts this awful illness.

But some pups, and families, decide to take the road less traveled, and to face the monster silently, with no words of support from their friends.  Our good friend 12, who we have known forever, and has somehow never been honored with pup of the week, came out of the "C" closet this week, to not only tell us he had faced the monster, but had defeated it.

I have so much admiration for 12.  Cancer is such a horrible monster to fight.  To be brave enough, and to have parents brave enough, not to share it, and to put up a front that nothing is wrong is remarkable.  All of us here at the Brigade wish we had known.  We would have prayed, sent positive vibes, asked the angels at the bridge to do all they can (although I am sure they knew, and did their best), and 12 knew that, but he stoically stood alone with his parents, and they won, so way to go 12!

But now 12 is facing another monster C that has moved into his house without his permission.  This one is the dreaded cat.  His Mommy and Daddy took in a stray cat because they obviously went way over their Foleytini limit.  Then his parents learned that they were all in danger of getting a CTD (Cat transmitted disease.)   Now the cat is is isolation.  12 can smell it, can hear it, but can't get to it.  Oh the frustration.  This is such a problem even Aunt Foley doesn't have an answer.  It's like inviting the family over for Thanksgiving dinner, having the entire house smell like turkey, have chewing sounds piped in, and don't give them any food.

So hang in there 12.  You have beaten a bigger C then this rogue kitty.  Like your cancer it will be cured, and it will fade away (after Mommy finds a home for it.)  We know you are tough enough to face the big C and beat it, and we know you're big enough to beat the little C, which is why you're our pup of the week.