How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
It was about to strike when a flash of black fur passed my leg and Snowball grabbed the snake just in back of the head and with a quick flick broke its neck. (2.37)
Snowball was the first, but not the last, dog to save Paulsen's life. Paulsen doesn't really dwell on it, but he lived a dangerous life in many ways.
Quote #5
Not two weeks before we were due to leave, a military truck swerved and hit her while she was walking next to me. She was killed instantly. (2.41)
Since Paulsen had adopted Snowball to keep her from being killed for food, you can imagine how her death affected him.
Quote #6
He is gone now, gone some years from a combination of dysplasia and cancer that was impossible to cure or fix but I still have the drawing [of the dog] in a box somewhere. It shows up from time to time when I am moving or straightening things, and I think of him […]. (6.59)
Paulsen looks back on his memories of Caesar with fondness. Other dogs, like Snowball, are more painful for him to remember. This passage points out that sometimes you can't save your pet no matter how much you love them or try to cure them.