"This has been a bad year for the newsroom."

In writing this post, I realize we weren't exaggerating. Not an ounce.

We weren't discussing the state of newspapers, though. We were talking about pets who made us fall in love with them, then left us - some far too early.

Robin and I had this conversation far too often in 2009. In memorium:

• Rabbits Sky and Sherbert (Sandy Klepach, reporter and pet blogger)

• Cat Kitty (Robin Palmer, copy editor and pet blogger)

• Dogs Otis and Rema (Mark Podolski, sports editor)

• Boxer Forman (John Bertosa, city editor)

• Welsh Corgi Blossom (John Hutchison, reporter)

• Cat Harbor and ferrets Lilo and Stitch (Bill DeBus, assistant city editor)

• Cats Leland and Dancer (David Jones, reporter)

• Cat Kitty (Maribeth Joeright, photographer)

• Cat Rafters (Janet Podolak, reporter)

• Cat Casey (Tracey Read, reporter)

• Cat (Jason Lea, reporter)

The celebrity pets we lost this year:

• Socks, the White House cat during the Clinton administration who waged war on Buddy the puppy, died February 2. He was about 18.

• Loki, Mickey Rourke's red carpet-walking chihuahua, died Feb. 17. He was 18.

• Alysheba, the horse who won the Kentucky Derby May 2, 1987, as well as the Preakness, died March 27. He was 25.

• Trakr, the search and rescue dog that pulled the last survivor from the 9/11 rubble and was later to cloned, died in April. He was 16. (Watch a CNN story about clones Trust, Solace, Valor, Prodigy and Dejavu here.)

• Gidget, the chihuahua who uttered "yo quiero Taco Bell," died on July 22. She was 15.

• Uga VII, the bulldog who served as the University of Georgia's mascot for not even two full football seasons, died of heart problems Nov. 19. He was 4.

May we also remember Wayne Allwine, who died May 18, the actor who voiced Mickey Mouse more than 30 years. Thanks to him we all had a pet long before our parents would eventually say OK.

So long, good friends, and thanks again for it all.

-- Sandra M. Klepach, SKlepach@News-Herald.com

If pet loss has hit you hard this year, consider a pet loss support group meeting at Animal Hospital Inc. in Willoughby Hills. Click here for times and dates, or for more information, here for my thoughts on the experience.