Ivan was a mutt, mostly Cardigan Welsh Corgi, German Shepard and the usual mix of street dogs. He was born on October 12, 1983 and adopted from the Houston SPCA along with his sister Molly and his brother Peter, who lived with Carol's parents.

Ivan had Cushings Disease, which resulted in the over-secretion of ACTH into his system. This is a life threatening disease, but with proper care, he did okay for over 3 years. He also suffered from Degenerative Myelopathy (DM), which eventually resulted in the loss of the use of his rear legs. But he was a very happy dog, content to be with us and share his life and licks. OTOH, he found his step-sister, Bonnie, to be quite a pest.

Ivan died on February 14, 1998 after developing pancreatitis and then renal failure. Sending him to the Rainbow Bridge was the most painful thing we have ever done. We loved him dearly and will miss him for the rest of our lives.