This is the 95th day I've been alive. For me today is one of thoughtfulness and even sadness. Someone I did not know well, but the couple of times I met her, I thought she was beautiful, and her spirit seemed happy.... she was another assistance dog in training .... about a year ahead of me... sigh ... this is a sad thing to say, because yesterday, due to unforeseen health complications, she died.
I want to honor her life. She has touched the hearts of lots of people. Beginning with her breeder, who is a wonderful person, who donated her to Fidos For Freedom, moving on to her Puppy Raisers, then her Trainers, sometimes living with her Vacation Home Providers, she was a dog of light and joy.
Her name is Allie.
Usually service dogs live long and happy lives. Getting to do work they love for their special person. It's really a deep bond of love and service. Along with working, we get lots of time to play. All of our people make sure we know how much we are appreciated, and we enjoy getting to help them live lives they could not otherwise live, without our assistance. Our jobs as service dogs allow individuals with a disability to live more independently, more securely, knowing that we are right there ..... to stand and brace for a transfer, for a mobility-impaired individual. To tug off their shoes and socks and shirts, for people whose arms and/or legs don't work really well. To let our person who cannot hear, or who doesn't hear very well, know that someone is calling their name, or that an alarm has gone off, we take her or him to the source of the sound, as well as pick up anything she or he may have dropped, and not heard fall to the floor. There's lots more we do.
Along with all of the skilled tasks we are trained to do, one of the most important ones, (which doesn't require training on our parts, we seem to do this naturally), is to unconditionally love the person we are matched with. It's a deep, heart-to-heart connection. We are with our person in almost every single moment of her or his life. Loving them, no matter how they are feeling, no matter what the disability, it's love. Truly. Our hearts and spirits are connected to our person, we know when she feels great and when she doesn't. We know when he goes to sleep, and when he wakes up, scared, not remembering, for a minute, that he can't just jump out of bed, because his legs don't work. We go for help, bring the emergency phone, or call 911, or alert another person in the house, when it's an emergency.
But, most of all, all of us, know how very much we are loved.
All of us, give all of our love, to the people who love us. In the end, it's really all about love.
Dear Allie, and all the assistance dogs who have crossed the rainbow bridge .... please know, that today, I want to honor you. I have the greatest honor and respect for your lives and your service. As assistance dogs, we give a lot, yes, and we are all given So Much by all the people in our lives. I pledge to you, Allie, that I will bring all of my heart and spirit into everything that I do. I pledge to be the best hearing assistance dog I can be. I am already loving the people who are raising me, training me, helping me learn what I will need to know. I grieve your passing.
I promise to continue to carry the love forward. Your life, while short, was strong. Your heart loved and was loved by all.
With deepest regards to you, Allie, and my heart holds out its paws to everyone feeling the pain of your death.
Play well, Allie, on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge. I know you continue to love and be loved. I know that you are comforted and strong. I miss you. Everyone who knew you misses you.
Heartlight on.
And Away WE GO!! Mom says we're heading home!
Yep! You guessed it!! Me, Raynor!! Here I am, all of 8 weeks old!! Just arrived from my very first airplane trip! Safe and sound!
Guess who is waiting behind this Red Door??
Hi Everyone!! Now that I'm getting older, (14 weeks old now!), I figured I'd better start catching everyone up on the backstory of my first couple of weeks in Maryland. This is Savion. Mom was telling him I was coming to stay for awhile! He's 9 years old, and was already living with 6 dogs!! The news really woke Savion right up!! Savion is one of my best kitty friends now. We play, then curl up together, groom each other, then take a nap.
