It's been a while...

[RugosaB]

This might be kind of long, but a lot comes to my head:

Rosa was my first show dog, a Diva, more than willing to snub a laughing judge, if she thought it was warranted! (I’ll always remember this, because that judge and her husband were killed a few years later in a car accident) Her head was not an ideal basenji head, but she had enough ‘other stuff’ that she got an award of merit at a Basenji National, I believe in St. Louis.

So we were at a National somewhere, and I introduced myself to Katie Campbell as the owner of a pet boy, sired by her Spencer. The very first thing she said “Is he smart?” OMG he was smart, that’s where he got it from!

So at an appropriate time, I bred my Rosa to Spencer. He passed on his intelligence, he was old (ended up living to 17), and healthy.

Rosa was shown the way to the Rainbow Bridge, at a time I just couldn’t fret about it. I think she knew, as she always seemed to not want to make a fuss – it was 3 weeks after I got home from the rehab place after my car accident.

In one of her litters, she had a little girl so much like her. Promise had the same ‘not correct’ head, but it housed that brain! One of my goals in breeding was to produce puppies that could be thrown out back, near a creek, and survive on their own. I can’t remember if it was Rosa or Promise, but one day I watched her – she had her head tilted down, listening to the moles in the ground. She was the only one I saw doing that. (My original pet boy, the Spencer son, climbed a spruce tree 15 ft, and ate the eggs from a robin’s nest – I saw him. I also saw the blue eggshells in his poop)

Why this story? Promise was like her Mom, she was let go to cross the rainbow bridge, about 5 weeks ago. At the time, I couldn’t think too much about it, we just let her go. She was 16 and 4 months. A few months earlier, we had to let Gretchen go. They were the best of friends. The picture I posted then showed Promise behind her, maybe saying, in their silent way, “You go, I’ll be there in a bit.”

Cinta has 2 dogs from me, I think Dempsey is Promise’s littermate, she might even have 2 from that litter – I can’t remember.

It’s hard to let them go when they’re pups, but knowing the years of love they have gotten, makes it bearable.

It’s really hard to see them go that one last time.
But bearable, when they’ve been here 16 years.

[elbrant]

:`(

Still makes my eyes tear up for your loss. snif

[MorseSA]

@rugosab said in It's been a while...:

Katie Campbell

How is Katie Campbell doing these days ??
stafford morse

[NancySS]

What a wonderful story of loving Basenjis! Prayers for you and your sweet Basenjis!