In Memoriam

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Nicco

Apu Nicco Bello Garvey ~ 13 December 2000 - 7 November 2016

Today Nicco passed away. He had been very frail for a long time.

But he held on, who would've thought our dancer had such strength and resolve?

He is so beloved and it's very dark out tonight and quiet.

We loved him so much and still do - our deer-dog, ballerina, stubborn, handsome boy. The Garveys

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Pi

©Susan Kamen Marsicano, 2007, Occhi, Pi & Sandy

CH SunDiata's Pi R Squared JC ~ 30 November 2004 - 23 December 2016

It is with a very heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our dear Pi yesterday.

Ch. SunDiata's Pi R Squared, JC, sired more than 20 champions in the US and Europe, as well as many very very smart performance dogs with titles to prove it. He is sire and grandsire to some of the top agility Basenjis in the world, via Susan Marsicano, and also half brother to sire/grandsire of some of Linda Siekert's fabulous agility performers. Pi was born at our house, and has been through our many moves around the country as my husband Jim went to medical school at age 50, residency, and now here in Pennsylvania with his own practice. Pi was always with us, except for the 6 months he bunked with Bob and Charlene Collins in Phoenix during Jim's 4th year. He had some fabulous show wins, including specialties, and was widely known for his kind, sweet disposition and intelligence. Ingenious, clever, Pi loved to run free in the forest of Flagstaff, Arizona, he sometimes led escapes in New Jersey, where he would happily tour the neighborhood, then come back to the front door as if this were normal.

There is a big hole left behind you, little buddy. May "flights of angels wing thee to thy rest."

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Chili (see his story)

My speedy handsome brindle Basenji Boy, Chili, passed away after a ruptured splenetic hemangiosarcoma.

He wasn't finished with his lifetime of adventure yet, made evident by the fact he was hiking up mountains in the days before. Despite his good physical condition, Chili knew it was his time, wherein he greeted me with an apologetic sigh and cuddle at the vet hospital. Weak and imbalanced, but still keeping his keen dark-golden eyes locked on me... we said our goodbyes, and I let him know he had seen me through this one last challenge (and I instantaneously flashed through the half-dozen times or so that I thought he was about to die previously - the least of which is when he ran off into the Sonoran Desert after some cattle in 105F heat).

Thanks to Dr. Long of Prevost Animal Clinic, I was able to take Chili out to his most favourite park, to bask in the warm fall sunshine on Vancouver Island, where he sat on my lap and sniffed the coming winter in the crisp air... 

His journey over the Rainbow Bridge came easily and without a moment of regret.

Nefertiti checked under the blankets of the various Basenji spots in my house for the next two weeks... I sometimes wish she would find him there too. Tom Elliot

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Jacob

Thank you my beautiful, talented and loved Victoria Machado for the beautiful painting of my baby Jacob.
21 August 2005 ~ 5 November 2016

November 6 at 9:11am · Woodstock ·
My baby Jacob was killed last night.

He went out with me as we always did and he heard a noise in the woods. He went chasing it.
I couldn't follow him because it was too dark. I heard the barking, followed by his scream, then silence.
I was screaming his name and running in the dark trying to find him, but I didn't.
Came back home told David and we both went outside to look for him but no idea where to go.

RIP my little man. You were a brave, loving soul. You will be always with me, until the day we meet again
You will be always in my heart. Frey Johnsson

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Gunner

"There is a cycle of love and death that shapes the lives of those who choose to travel in the company of animals.
It is a cycle unlike any other. To those who have never lived through its turnings and walked its rocky path, our willingness to give our hearts with full knowledge that they will be broken seems incomprehensible.
Only we know how small a price we pay for what we receive; our grief, no matter how powerful it may be, is an insufficient measure of the joy we have been given.” Suzanne Clothier

Today with grief beyond my imagination, I sent my Gunner to the Bridge. About a month ago he was diagnosed with histiocytic sarcoma, a genetic, aggressive and not curable cancer. I choose not to share his condition so that our remaining time together would be as normal as possible. He felt well and went to class and trained as usual and of course I spoiled the heck out of him. Two days ago he quit eating and today we knew our time together was over for now. He was the most loyal and loving dog you could possibly imagine and so smart and handsome. He took me places I would have never gone without him: The titles he earned in so many different sports was truly amazing, he was the epitome of the term "versatile aussie". He accomplished so much, but what I will miss most about him was the pure love he gave me. He made me smile everyday. Good bye my love, we will see each other again.

Hug your dogs, it goes by all too fast. Donna Hess

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Smeesh

...joining the World of Missing Persons and she was. "Smeesh" 25 September 2000 - 28 November 2016
Lisa Osenni

with Timmy & Toaster

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Bakari

Run free on endless beaches and bask in the sun my dearest friend. You will be missed more than words can express. Seizures and most likely a brain tumor made it necessary for us to be separated in this life, but I know that somewhere in the future we will find each other again and we will be once again be an inseparable team. Thank you for your trust, unquestioning love and dedication.

My world feels empty today without you.
Bakari means "with promise", and you certainly lived up to your name. Chris O'Rear

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Peyton

MACH PACH2 Wagontale's Quite A Catch CDX RAE HSAs MXS MJG MXP7 MXPG
MJP10 MJPC PAX3 OF NFP T2BP DD, ANDD MDD JHD WDX
Peyton 9/5/06 – 1/6/17

Today we helped Peyton take her final jump across the rainbow bridge.
Peyton was the true meaning of the versatile working Bernese Mountain Dog.
Which makes her passing all the more bitter, as not only did we loose our loving companion
but our play partner as well.

In her lifetime Peyton competed in 5 different performance events, Obedience, Rally, Agility, Draft and herding earning 66 titles. She would play with both of us in equal measure. By far her favorite game was agility – qualifying 139 times in Standard, 201 times in Jumpers 11 times in Fast, 17 time T2B, 99 double Q’s, and 2734 points. She qualified 9 times in obedience, 31 times in rally, 8 in herding and 19 in draft.
She took us to the AKC Agility Invitational twice and the AKC National Agility Championship in Reno.

She participated in four national specialties earning the Tri-athlete award at each one,
and she finished her agility career by going HIT at the BMDCA National agility trial in Monterey.
She was our demo dog at many classes and she helped teach people what is was like to run a trained agility dog, as long as they feed her treats! She also helped people learn rally and obedience commands letting new handlers work with her to get the right body position and signals.
We will so miss this gentle, kind and polite soul – our little “Wonder Pups”! Renee Meriaux