6 August will always be a sad day for us. It is the day we lost our beloved Kali. Her hips and heart finally let her down a year ago. She was 12. 25 May 1997 - 6 August 2009, etched forever on my mind.

She had spent her first year locked in a garage. Eventually, my partner's mother convinced the owner that was no way to keep a dog and he handed her over to her. We inherited Kali when Tony's mum died in September 1999.

Kali was such a handsome girl, loving, protective - but actually a real wuss, she would bark at the front door - but be standing right behind us.

She loved tummies down in the water though wasn't keen on swimming, even though she tolerated the three years of hydrotherapy. I miss the nibbling on the back of my hand and sinking my fingers into the ruff of her neck, the smell of her, the incessant squeaking of the newly given toy, relieved only when she broke the squeaker within half an hour, the bare strip on the lawn worn away by the galloping out through the back door. What wouldn't I give to have all that back again.

Her passing was so peaceful at the hands of our kind vet, in our back garden. How I miss her. It was a warm balmy morning. But later on that night, as I sat in that very spot and howled my eyes out, the heavens opened, as if the very skies were crying with me. Every morning was a struggle for a while, as I relived that moment of the head dropping and the once pointy ears relaxing, then every Thursday morning, then the 6th of the month, then 3, 6 and 9 months and now a year. Her ashes lie beneath a newly planted eucalyptus so, when the scent of the leaves is carried in the Summer breeze, I think of her and she is with me.

But, as fate would have it, the very day that our Kali passed away, little Archie (then Arty, see his Happy Endings thread) was in a crate on a ferry coming over to England from Ireland though, of course, we didn't know it. It was not until exactly a month later that we met him and we adopted each other.

Archie has filled that massive hole in our lives since we lost Kali, and we love Archie every bit as much as we loved Kali but in a totally different way and we still miss our old girl so very, very much. But Archie has made us smile and laugh again and he is our best friend who helped us through our loss.



Run free, my girl. I'll see you at the Bridge one day....

R.I.P. Kali, run free at the Bridge beautiful xx

She was beautiful ... she may be gone but never forgotten , she had a wonderful life with you ..

Archie filled a little bit of a broken heart .... I know its not easy but thank god for pictures & memories ..

Until you meet again ... A BIG hug from US

Remembering you on the 6th August Kali

Sharing your loss take care of my Shadow Kali :cry:

What an awful day. That grief that's gets right into the soul and rips it apart has come back nearly as fiercely as a year ago. Please can someone tell me that it gets better with time?

Thinking of you. on this sad day :cry:

Last Friday, 6th Aug, was horrible. That raw feeling of grief came back with a vengeance and I could not stop thinking back to what was happening at certain times of the day a year ago; from the last walk, the front door bell ringing when the vet arrived through to collecting her ashes the following morning. Strangely, after that time, that mood lifted and I also remembered that feeling of relief that our poor girl's pain had been relieved and we had done the kindest possible thing for her. Sleep well, sweet dreams, my girl.

6 August 2011 - two years on since we said goodbye to our old girl. I still think of our dear Kali. Sometimes I am caught in a moment of grief and still get a lump in my throat. This photo of her handsome face looks out at me when I'm at the computer and I think of the great times we used to have.

I still miss her but, as I have said in my previous post, we were blessed that Archie was in a crate on a ferry on this very same day two years ago, on his way from Ireland and we were the lucky ones to have adopted him from SGSR.

Kali, aged 3

Kali was so pretty, I know the feeling well, I lost my beautiful Dana on 16 July this year,
no matter how many times you go through this heartache, there is always a little someone
somewhere that can help ease the pain, Archie was yours and hopefully one will come
along for me soon.

Run free at the bridge Kali and look after my Dana for me.

Carol

I know how you feel Paula, they might not be with us in body but they're still with us in spirit. Kali xx

Thinking of you today xxx

I don't think you ever forget the smell or their silly little ways, no matter how many you have, love and lose, they are always there in your hearts and when you see another dog doing something silly it sparks a whole load of memories and then you can smile. Chin up you can bet she's with you now