Left last Friday for a convention down on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and got back today around noon. My wife told me that she couldn't get our dog Charlie to come out of his house and that he hadn't eaten his food from last night. Went out to check on him and saw almost immediately that he'd had some kind of seizure. Had to pull the back of his house loose to get him out. I hurried him to an animal emergency clinic but my worst fears were realized--he'd had a severe stroke or a similar massive neurological episode and was so paralyzed he couldn't even blink his eyes. I couldn't stand seeing him in such bad shape and had the vet euthanize him.Ole Charlie made it for about 17 and a half years so I guess he lived a longer life than most. Since he'd never had any major illnesses, I always presumed he'd go peacefully to sleep one day and just not wake up. Wasn't quite that way and though I don't know if he was having any pain, I couldn't stand to see his labored breathing and frequent muscle spasms like his neurons were firing with no logical movement possible. Hated to do it but I know he wanted and needed to be at rest.Gotta quit...can't talk about it anymore today.