good bye my dear friend, i will miss you

[ajturbo]

Today I did something that I hoped I never had to do.

Today I put my best friend to sleep.

She was my lead dog for my race team.

What she lacked in stature she had in attitude, she ruled the boys…

She had the single-mindedness and dedication to work hard and she worked very hard, if any of the boys were starting to slack off the pace she had set, she would bark at them!!!

I knew if she was slowing, the team as a whole needed a rest!

She was my guide

She will be missed

Good bye

Cush

[pete376403]

That hurts.
The Power of the Dog

THERE is sorrow enough in the natural way
From men and women to fill our day;
And when we are certain of sorrow in store,
Why do we always arrange for more?
Brothers and Sisters, I bid you beware
Of giving your heart to a dog to tear.

Buy a pup and your money will buy
Love unflinching that cannot lie--
Perfect passion and worship fed
By a kick in the ribs or a pat on the head.
Nevertheless it is hardly fair
To risk your heart for a dog to tear.

When the fourteen years which Nature permits
Are closing in asthma, or tumour, or fits,
And the vet's unspoken prescription runs
To lethal chambers or loaded guns,
Then you will find--it's your own affair--
But...you've given your heart for a dog to tear.

When the body that lived at your single will,
With its whimper of welcome, is stilled (how still!);
When the spirit that answered your every mood
Is gone--wherever it goes--for good,
You will discover how much you care,
And will give your heart for the dog to tear.

We've sorrow enough in the natural way,
When it comes to burying Christian clay.
Our loves are not given, but only lent,
At compound interest of cent per cent.
Though it is not always the case, I believe,
That the longer we've kept 'em, the more do we grieve:
For, when debts are payable, right or wrong,
A short-time loan is as bad as a long--
So why in Heaven (before we are there)
Should we give our hearts to a dog to tear?

Rudyard Kipling

[vifferman]

My condolences, Dude.

Thanx for the poem, Pete.
Wish I'd had the whole 14 years with our dog.
Wish he was still alive.
Wish I'd been more patient and kind with him.:crybaby:

[Hitcher]

Damn those furry critters for worming their way into your heart!

[marty]

we had to put down two dogs in the past 12 months - both 16-odd years old. couldn't bear it without dogs, so got 2 more - 2 border collies! we still have teary moments....

[MSTRS]

Rough. Guess it was necessary, but still hurts deep. :weep:

[Ms Piggy]

Sorry to hear the bad news :thud: I remember when my girl went missing I was so gutted - they really become a part of your life.

My HUGEST sympathies :disapint: :hug:

[Sniper]

My condolences man. I know the feeling all to well.

Nicely put Hitcher, curse them for getting into our hearts with beady little eyes and cute motions.

[Riff Raff]

Oh mate, I feel it really deeply for you. I know how much you loved Cush. I'm so sorry you've lost your girl. Your life was enriched by having her around, and she was a very lucky dog to have had you as her master. My thoughts are with you and Luke, mate. xxx

[sels1]

You have my sympathies too mate.
My poor old collie will be lucky to see out the year - I just hope she can go naturally so I dont have to take her for THAT trip to the vet.

[Biff]

My heart goes out to you. You never know how those horrible, mangy, smelly muts can pull on your heart strings until you have one and loose it.

Incidently, I picked up a rescue dog from the pound last week, a cross Alsation Hunterway. Horrible thing he is. Cute, intelligent bloody thing.

[toads]

sorry you have suffered the loss of your dog, a good dog is a damned good friend and it is painful to let them go.

[Yokai]

Man - I know it's hard, but look back on the good times you had together and that she had. I know you're having a hard time - my sympathies, dude... and pass on our best wishes to Luke too - he's probably going through a rough time of it too.

When you find a dog that suits you and you go through a lot together, it really is difficult to let it go...

[Lucyloo]

Hey Andy
Mate, I said it all on the phone, so you know that I am thinking of you.
Even when you know it's the right thing to do, it still bloody hard.
Big hug next time I see you.
Lucy.
x

[Roadrash]

There are only two times a man should cry
1) when his dog has a final sleep (very,very sorry)
2) when your kids leave home (for joy)

[Biff]

There are only two times a man should cry
1) when his dog has a final sleep (very,very sorry)
2) when your kids leave home (for joy)


here, here

[Paul in NZ]

Sorry to hear that! Heartfelt comiserations mate! Thats a pain that burns!

Vicki and I still shed a tear when we think of my first dog Rhubarb... (no really, we had a cat called Custard and....)

Hell of a dog! Loved Vicki (eventually) and the girls to bits. Only mutt allowed into the school grounds as she was a bit elderly by then and all the kids adopted her (much to the worse as far as her big fat guts went). The whole neighbourhood went into mouring when she passed on....

Hell! I miss that damn dog more than some family members but as the man said! The more people I meet, the more I love my dog.....

Paul N

[ajturbo]

hey guys...

Thanks heaps for the messages of support
Cush was a very special bitch,

i rescued her from a man that had locked her up in a grage shed.

she was the one dog of my group (of 4) that could cheer me up in my dark times over the last couple of years.

she was only 4 years old.

she had another 6-8 years of racing ahead of her,

she new her left's and right's and STOP!!!!...(that was needed a couple of times... when i had fallen off in the snow and they were still running away from me!!!...good story that one...)


thank you all
:2thumbsup :2thumbsup

off to give luke a hug

andy

[Mongoose]

Nothing really left to add, everyone else hads put it so much better than I ever could.
'Cept to say thinking of ya and have an idea of what your going thru.

[Tigger]

I'm really sorry to hear about your dog Andy. I remember you sometimes bringing them to karate and also remember your stories about them taking off without you.

My condolences.

[Hooks]

Buddy .... I just told my girls.... they are so sad for you... Hang in there mate ... we're thinking of you...

Ian & the kids ...

[Sparky Bills]

Sorry to hear that man.
I know whats its like to loose a mate like that.
Only mine was 16!
His name was....(believe me it was!)
HONDA.

[Firefight]

hey AJ, sorry to hear about your loss, our family have always had animals, and are much richer for this. Fully aware of what you are feeling at the moment.

F/F

[Blakamin]

:weep: sorry to hear that AJT....I had to leave my 2 in oz... :weep:

[avgas]

Yeh man, heartfelt sorrows towards you.....but remember you did the right thing, she feels no pain now.
Dogs are the best compaintions, i got hit hard when mine died.
:hug: She lived a good life with you, hang on to the memories

[saul]

Sorry for your loss AJ :weep:

I have had to put a bitch down before her time and it was tough.

[ching_ching]

I love the aminals!

Kia kaha bro!! :disapint: :headbang:

ching

[riffer]

Sorry to hear it didn't work out for Cush Andy.

You'd mentioned yesterday about her when we were loading Frosty's bike into the van but it didn't sound quite so bad.

I've had to put down a few myself too. Its yuck.

Thinking of ya mate.

Simon

[FzerozeroT]

:crybaby: .............

[StoneChucker]

Sorry to hear that mate, only time will heal, in part.
That was a sad story, but sheesh that poem didn't help. It's truly amazing how much animals endear themselves into our lives. We came to NZ from South Africa (as most of you know), and there was NO way we were coming without bringing our 2 dogs with us, at quite a considerable cost I might add.

Ours know exactly how to manipulate us into doing exactly what THEY want, when they want it. We know it, but don't mind since they are so adorable and intelligent. There is no way I could hold myself together when "that" time came, hell, hardly even when thinking about it!

sigh...

[Al]

AJT, heartfelt condolences.
Like SC, we also came here from SA, and we had 3 Rottie girls (were breeders at one stage). The 2 old girls we had sent to doggie heaven, they were spoilt rotten and wouldn't last without us. The young girl (18 months) went to my step-daughter...... doggie is spoilt as much as she was with us.
It was the worst part of our immigration..... we could'nt bring oldies with and baby dog needed company..... Damm for the way they jump into our hearts!


Chin-up

Al

[Ghost Lemur]

Condolences Andy. :crybaby:

How's your boy coping? Tell him we're all thinking of you both.

So is there going to be a KB pissup/wake(sp?) for this beautiful bitch (knew there would be a time when I could eventually say beautiful bitch without getting my face slapped)?

[gav]

Mate, thats no good. Saw them/you on the telly not so long ago! Was anyone able to tape it for you? We had to put one of our cats down recently, it aint good........

[wari]

DOggs worry sheep ... :confused:



BUtt ... sad to hear about your loss ... :cry:

[ajturbo]

Condolences Andy. :crybaby:

How's your boy coping? Tell him we're all thinking of you both.

So is there going to be a KB pissup/wake(sp?) for this beautiful bitch (knew there would be a time when I could eventually say beautiful bitch without getting my face slapped)?


sorry, got shiiiiit faced last night... a very private one,
luke is a lot better today... but we have to take her home yet, we are in himatangi at the moment.... heading home in 15....

andy

[ajturbo]

Mate, thats no good. Saw them/you on the telly not so long ago! Was anyone able to tape it for you? We had to put one of our cats down recently, it aint good........


thanks gav.

yes we have video footage of all her racing in wanaka, from both TV stations, plus a free-lance company !!

the owner of the snow farm took some amazing Photo's of my team while we were up there..........

andy

[ajturbo]

DOggs worry sheep ... :confused:



BUtt ... sad to hear about your loss ... :cry:




yep she did just LOVE sheep.... no she didn't worry them ... she just eats them.. :2thumbsup

[ajturbo]

just got home and i was thinking that some of you may want to see what Cush looked like....

[MSTRS]

A fine, intelligent looking-animal. In time you will replace her with another that measures up

[Blakamin]

top photo! :disapint: