An Ode to Toby, a handsome yellow Lab

I barely knew Toby. I do have a living, breathing, crapping, eating, loving, snuggly reminder of him though at my place. It's his spoiled and gorgeous daughter - my Poppy. So Toby is Poppy's birth lab dad. He was a pure-bred, handsome, yellow lab of 6 when we first met him. He was big, but not overwhelmingly so and extremely loving when he first saw us. He just flopped down beside us and rolled over in front of Rhonda, the breeder, for a belly rub - instantly takign Vikram's heart away. The next time we saw him was when we had gone to board Poppy at Rhonda's for July 4th weekend (in 2006). He was crated to minimize the mayhem of dogs greeting their long-lost kin. But Poppy ran towards his crate the minute she shook herself free of her over-enthusiastic mom and sisters, and tried licking him through the crate bars. They both whined to each other and wanted despreately to meet. It was such a warming sight. And that ended my acquaintance with the dog that fathered my pet. I heard two days ago that he died at the young age of 7! Rhonda walked hom last Tuesday to find him lying in a pool of blood. Not even a blood transfusion could save his life and he was dead by Sunday. No one still knows why! It scares me to think that a perfectly healthy, playful, pure-bred lab with no issues or concerns, winning in the show ring until 2 days before his fate, could suddenly die like that!
I can only imagine what Rhonda must be going through right now. Toby was her first ever yellow-lab. Her baby. Her protector. Her special dog. He was the loving yet alpha male, the clingy baby who loved his belly rubs yet needed his peace and quiet in the crate away from it all...
It saddens me everytime I look at Poppy to think that these amazing creatures that fill our lives with so much love and joy have but a short life to live. And yet, what a wonderful life, what lovely memories they leave behind!