Milo, the beautiful white Boxer and American Bulldog mix who gazed out intently at the door of The Aldie Peddler for many years, recently succumbed to old age and infirmity. His close family, Wally, Terry, Buster and Sadie, are devastated. Customers and passers by who loved him too will miss his intelligent, caring and gentle ways.

"He was feeling good until about a month before he became seriously ill," said Terry Cotton, who adopted Milo with his business partner, Wally Lunceford in the spring of 2000.

"Milo knew he wasn't well," Terry continued. "Our vet was taking excellent care of him, and we did everything we could do, but near the end, he stopped eating and made it clear he just wanted to wander off. He was tired. He knew it was time to go."

"Milo was such a love," Wally added, choking back tears. "We rescue white boxers specifically, but we've never had a dog like Milo. His smile was the biggest I've ever known, and he never did anything bad. He took excellent care of all our dogs while he was here, and he provided superb friendly and loving service to our customers."

Many rescuers know to call Wally and Terry if a white boxer needs a home. It was Kristen Hess who introduced them to Milo. Kristen was fostering him and had seen Murphy, one of their white Boxers, in the doorway of their shop as she drove through Aldie.

"He wasn't on a leash when she brought him to us," Terry explained. "We took him to the back of the shop and he acted very reserved, even aloof. He was very serious, not just a happy-go-lucky guy. He had the biggest brown eyes and an incredibly direct stare. We learned that he told you everything he was thinking when you stared into those beautiful eyes, and he could stare you down for ten minutes straight."

It didn't take long for Milo to relax and share his friendly nature with all who crossed the threshold. He often took customers' hands to lead them around the store, and he had many party invitations over the years because he was a perfect guest.

"He was a terribly good lap sitter," Wally remembered. "And he had a very healthy appetite. 'He weighed 90 pounds when we adopted him!'"

Eight years ago, Wally and Terry decided to put Milo on the labels of their food products and on The Aldie Peddler sign.

"Everyone loved him so," Wally said. "It made perfect sense to include him on our branded items. He was as much a statesman for the shop as we were."

"In a way, he's been immortalized," Terry added. "I'm so glad."

Sadie has stepped into Milo's place as the greeter at The Aldie Peddler door, and although he was twice as big as she is, she is determined to keep a lookout for their valued customers. As a female, Sadie had asserted her Alpha dog attitude upon her arrival.

"Milo was very kind to her, and tried not to assert himself too much," Terry explained. "But when they played, Milo drew the line. He was the boss, and that was the way it was going to be. Sadie, sensibly, agreed."