A Tribute to My Heart Dogs...
Wherever a beautiful soul has been, there
remains a trail of beautiful memories
TIGER
Seabrooks Eye of the
Tiger
Jan 31 1995 – Sept 20 2004
He was born on a crisp January morning in 1995,
one of six beautiful puppies in his litter.
But as he grew, we knew something was
wrong. His head would lop to the side, he
had a hard time holding it up. When he was
six weeks old, we found out why. There was
a gap in the second vertebrae of his neck,
just below the top of his head. He had
been born with a spinal cord injury. The
prognosis was poor. The specialist in
Minneapolis thought he would not live more
than a year or so, because as he grew, so
would the size of the hole in his neck.
But not only did Tiger live, he flourished.
And despite three separate episodes of
paralysis as a puppy, he grew into strong
adult. Though the gap never closed, it did
calcify, filling in the space, and he never
experienced the paralysis again. But the
only thing holding his head up were the
muscles in his neck. He was a dog that the
doctors said should not even be walking, let
alone running and doing the things that he
did.
His neck was x-rayed every 6 months to a
year throughout his life, wearing a
specially constructed brace so his discs
wouldn’t slip. And because of his neck
injury and the fact that not only had he
survived and was walking, he was one of the
first of several dogs in Canada to be
selected for a pilot project using dogs to
study spinal cord injuries to benefit human
research, through a series of specially
adapted MRI’s to try to figure out how the
electrical impulses were traveling down his
spine despite the hole in his neck. And
though the study was cancelled before it
ever really got off the ground, it was an
honour none-the-less that Tiger had been
chosen, knowing that his injury may
potentially have helped humans with spinal
cord injuries.
He was such a remarkable little dog… with an
amazing spirit and beautiful soul. And from
all outward appearances, he lead a normal
life. I even had the pleasure of showing
him once a year in the altered classes at
the WASSA specialty. And though he never
won once, was always last in his class, he
loved going to dog shows. He ran around the
ring with his head held high, and always my
heart would swell with pride.
But my heart broke when he died. Not of his
spinal cord injury, but of kidney disease,
at the tender young age of nine. This super
little dog is in Heaven now, with his
guardian angel Christopher Reeve... Superman
himself. I say this because Tiger’s spinal
cord injury was diagnosed exactly one week
to the day Christopher Reeve received his
spinal cord injury falling from a
horse. Tiger's injury was located in the
exact same vertebrae.
And Christopher Reeve died nine years
later...
exactly one week to the day after Tiger
died.
He was my little Superman of a Dog!
If I could have a lifetime wish
A dream that could come true
I'd pray to God with all my heart
For yesterday and you
DUSTY
BISS CH. Summer Dust CD
June 7 1978 - November 20, 1992
Dusty is the reason I fell in love with
Shelties. He was a Best in Specialty and
High in Trial winning dog, with over 50 Best
of Breeds and multiple group placements,
including placement in the top five
conformation dogs in Canada for several
years in a row. He produced several
champion offspring and a Best in Show
winning son.
Because of Dusty I have made lifelong
friends, and having him changed the course
of my life through these friendships and my
involvement with dogs.
There is so much more I can say about
Dusty, so much that he taught me, so much
that I learned… things about him that are so
special and so dear, but when it all comes
right down to it, he was my first. What
more can really I say?
I miss him forever and all ways...
Whenever you need to find me
We're never far apart
Just look beyond the rainbow
And listen with your heart
I
stood by your bed last night, I came to have a
peep
I could see that you were crying, you found it
hard to sleep
I whined to you so softly, as you brushed away a
tear
I said "It's me, I haven't left you... I'm
well, I'm fine, I'm here"
I was at your side at breakfast, I watched you
pour your tea
You were thinking of the many times your hands
reached out to me
I was with you at your work today, your arms
were getting sore
I longed to help you through your day, I wish I
could do more
I was with you at my grave today, you tend it
with such care
I want to reassure you that I am not lying there
I walked with you toward the house as you
fumbled for your key
I gently put my paw on you, and smiled and said
"it's me"
You looked so very tired as you sank into
a chair
I tried so hard to let you know that I was
standing there
That its possible for me to be near you everyday
To say to you with certainty, I never went away
You sat there very quietly, you smiled, I think
you knew
In the stillness of the evening I was very close
to you
The day is almost over, I smiled and watched you
yawn
and I said goodnight, God Bless, we'll see you
in the morn
And when its time for you to cross that brief
divide
I'll rush across to greet you and we'll stand
side by side
I have so many things to show you, there is so
much for you to see
Be patient, live your journey out, then come
home to be with me...
Author Unknown
Kathy's website is located at
www.seabrooks.ca
|
