DOG DAYS AND THREE DOG NIGHTS
The joy of meeting that new guide dog is overpowering. The eagerness to work, the
energy and the friendliness create a lifetime of memories. It is difficult to accept that in
less than ten years that loveable creature will need to retire and will die a few short
years later. Just thinking about this subject makes me sad. We all know about the
independence and freedom the use of a guide dog brings to the life of a person who is
blind. The quality of life is so much better, thanks to the devotion, skill and eagerness
to help of most guide dogs.
We all learn the first day at guide dog school that bonding is crucial. The dog needs to
value the relationship. Yes, the dog needs to know its limits, but the dog needs to have
fun too. We work hard to create a good team with our guide dogs with just the right
amount of work and play. True success is when the guide dog enjoys guiding as much
as play. Avoiding obstacles, travelling new routes and returning to familiar places,
make for an exciting life for a guide dog. The wagging of the tail while working is a
clear signal that the person who is blind and the dog are a happy pack together. Each
time injury or accident is avoided by the skill of the guide dog, the animal imbeds itself
deeper into the heart.
The downside of this beautiful relationship is the very short lifespan of dogs compared
to our time on earth. If the relationship is effective and if the dog’s health is good, it will
spend about eight to nine years on the path of life working with the person who is blind. When this journey together starts, little thought is given to the trauma ahead. A recent experience caused me to face up to the need for more preparation, help and counselling
associated with the retirement and the death of a guide dog.
Schools and users alike have to do a better job of preparing for the inevitable day when
that canine companion needs to retire. What are the signs? I know a few from the
experience of my wife Marie and her first guide dog Luna. Marie stopped working the summer Luna was ten going on eleven years old. When Marie returned to work in
September that year and Luna had just turned eleven years old, suddenly Luna slowed down and eventually did not want to lead at all. The cataracts in her eyes were growing rapidly. The arthritis in her legs was getting worse and she got other physical problems like bladder infections which she never had before. She always had been healthy. She didn’t want to eat as much either. These were all signs that she was getting old but it was hard for us to face them. Every morning, Luna came to the door wanting to go to work. She was willing. Her body knew it was time to retire, that she no longer had the stamina, but her big hearth still wanted to do the work she had been trained to do, guide her partner, Marie. Finally, the decision to retire Luna was made.
Arranging for Luna’s future was a family decision. We all talked with the school and
among ourselves about what was best for Luna. She was a one person dog and had
been with Marie every day for nine years. Everyone agreed that Luna dog should
remain at home with us during her retirement. When Marie went off to guide dog
school to train with her new dog Zena, I wasn’t prepared for the effect on Luna.
While I was away with my guide dog Quincey at work, a neighbour who was at home on
maternity leave agreed to keep Luna during the day. However, Luna was clearly upset.
She missed Marie. She stopped eating and would lie on her mat in front of the
bedroom window looking outside for hours. She would slink off by herself at every
opportunity. She also started to dribble around the house and developed bladder
problems.
The last week of Marie’s guide dog training, Luna injured her left front paw while at the neighbour. It swelled up and got worse. It never seemed to get better. The x rays did not show a break. Luna hopped around the house on three legs. She could not travel easily to the neighbour’s and I had to carry her up and down the stairs. My day started out carrying her downstairs, unsuccessfully trying to get her to eat and then leaving her alone at home while I went to work. Then coming home to do it all over again.
The low point was reached when the vet indicated he suspected cancer and gave her
three months to live. The only way to know for sure was to do a biopsy. We decided
not to have this intrusive procedure done. Even if the diagnosis was confirmed, there
weren’t any available treatments. What was the point in adding to Luna’s pain and
discomfort just to know what time would tell us anyway?
Marie came home from guide dog school a few days early with her new guide dog,
Zena. We took stock of the situation. Luna was withering away before our eyes. It
was a sad time. Now Marie would be leaving for work each morning with another guide
dog and leaving Luna behind. It was an intolerable situation. After a lifetime of
service, it was all going to end for Luna in this misery and pain. It was difficult to take.
We changed Luna’s food to one that would be easy on her kidneys. We started to put
little treats in her food. This was a strict no no when she was a guide dog, but what did
rules matter now? Luna began to eat as she hunted through her food for the morsels of
cheese and hamburger. She took a liking to Shredded Wheat and Rice Crispies.
Gradually, with much coaxing and many little treats sprinkled in her food, Luna’s
appetite returned.
We were cautioned to be careful around other dogs with Zena. As a puppy, she had
been hurt by another dog and tended to be afraid of other animals. However, it wasn’t
long until the new pack was formed. Zena liked playing with gentle Quincey. It seemed
as though Luna adopted Zena as her young charge in need of supervision and
guidance from the old master. Luna was very interested in their antics. She would
occasionally join in for a minute or two. When she felt enough romping around was
enough, she would bark sharply, bringing the play to an end. Luna was still top dog.
Each morning, she would come to the door to say goodbye as we left her behind and
set out for work with our two guide dogs. Luna’s new job was to watch over the house
while we were away. It was not the job she wanted, but it gave her purpose. The
routine began to take hold and Luna was on the mend. The swelling in her leg joint
went down. The limping and hopping grew less and less. Each day, we took her for a
walk around the block. It was a short distance, but a long way for her. We found
someone to come in and visit her at noon. Occasionally, Luna would have a real treat:
a car ride with our daughter or a volunteer.
A retired guide dog is no longer able to accompany the blind person wherever he or
she goes. Access to public places for the retired guide dog is now problematic. Taking
her on vacation with us to the Caribbean is now impossible. Luna rolling in the sand
and swimming in the sea seem to be just fond memories now that she is retired and
stuck at home. Equally confining was the fact that at least one of us also had to stay home to care for her. No vacation trip for us.
An e mail at work changed all that too. A colleague had a cottage for rent. We booked
it. We bundled three dogs and a week’s provisions into our daughter’s car and off we
went one hot August morning. For the next week, our routine slipped into a lazy blur of
breakfast on the deck overlooking the lake, morning and afternoon swims, walks along
country roads and free runs for the dogs in the woods surrounding the cottage. The
dogs stayed close. We were surprised that they never once wandered off so far that
they did not respond to our whistle or command to “come”, even in the wild. Luna
spent hours patrolling the shoreline in the shallow water of Blue Sea Lake just like she
had done over the years at the beaches in Cuba, Aruba, Florida, California, Mexico and
the Bahamas, to name just a few of the places she had visited with us.
It is now a year later. Luna is still alive and going strong. She is eating, playing and
patrolling her backyard. She is still laying under an office desk, albeit at home, while
Marie works on her computer reading e mails.
We made a decision to keep Luna. It is not the decision for all guide dog users.
Lifestyles and practicalities effect the options available. However, what this experience
has clearly illustrated to us, is that retiring a guide dog is a very delicate thing. This
hands on experience has created an awareness of the problems and challenges that
many users are not aware of when the guide dog is sent to a new home for retirement.
We did not know what to expect and we were not prepared for the problems. We did
not know how to plan for the day the guide dog stopped working. We did not know
what to do when retiring a guide dog. It is not an easy subject to discuss and it is
natural for other users to shy away from the topic. We have had to solve problems as
they arose by trial and error. Our determination and love for the “Old Girl” has resulted
in a happy ending for now. We now have three happy dogs living under the same
woof.
It was against this experience that I attended a discussion of retiring service animals at
the Third National Dog Guide Conference. While the discussion was frank, it wasn’t
fulfilling for me. The tendency to encourage people to leave the dogs fate in the hands
of the school went against the grain of our bond. The notion that the dog would be
eager to settle in at a new home seamed like a bit of wishful thinking. “Do not attribute
human reasoning and feelings to the dog” sounded a bit like an attempt to justify
getting rid of the dog and the responsibility for its care.
I was profoundly unsettled to hear a trainer say that it was necessary to retire a guide
dog when it was young enough to still have a life as a dog. Such a logic implies that
the guide dog has been in bondage during its working life and that the animal must be
retired when it is young enough to get some pleasure out of life before it dies. An
acceptance of this idea meant that I had been cruel to my guide dog for the entire
duration of its working life with me, a notion I refused to accept based on our
experience together. It seemed that these comments were doing precisely
what we had been advised against ever since the first day of training. Namely, giving
human feelings and emotions to the animal. The discussion of retirement kept
bothering me as it seemed to be incomplete. There must be more to the partnership
than a hug, a tear, and we go our separate ways the dog to start enjoying life and me
on to yet another dog modified for my use.
The next morning, the feeling of dissatisfaction and disappointment was stronger than
the afternoon before when the retirement seminar ended. I was still at the conference
hotel but most of the dogs had left and so had my peers. I felt quite upset. I wandered
in the restaurant for breakfast even though I hate eating in hotel restaurants. There
wasn’t anything else open on a Sunday morning. Of course, there wasn’t a sit down
service but a brunch. Things seemed to be going to the dogs big time. As I sat there
sipping a coffee that tasted as bad as my mood, several other conference participants
came in and we started a desultory polite conversation that soon turned to the
retirement seminar and my discomfort about the bottom line.
It was suggested to me that while guide dogs did not reason like human beings or have
our view on life, they are not just dogs either. They are sentient beings, very aware of
their world and what is happening in it. Dogs know when something is up. They sense
change and momentous events. They know what is happening. Maybe they do not
understand why and what is coming next but they do experience the trauma of this big
test of their training and experience. It is life and death for them. A rough transition
accelerates their journey on the road to dog nirvana. The end comes far too soon.
Too many dogs do not make the transition to life after guiding and pass on within
the first year after they stop working. Many pass on within weeks or months after
retirement day. It is no different than the fate of many humans who retire without a
mission after work. Humans and guide dogs alike need retirement planning and
guidance. More research and professional counseling is needed. Guide dog schools
and users alike have to devote more thought, time and energy to making this transition
a more positive and smooth experience for the retiring guide dog.
Dogs by nature are gregarious animals. While guide dogs are first and foremost dogs,
they are unique dogs. They have never just been dogs. They have an expanded
consciousness and are very aware of the world around them and extremely sensitive to
change. That is why a guide dog reacts to danger and tries to stop us from stepping
into a big hole or walking into the path of a moving vehicle. To suggest that the animal
will not experience and react to the change in routine at retirement time is a forlorn
hope. Thinking that all is well because the scavenger suddenly eats food at a new
place or plays with new people is, in my opinion, not the mark of a successful transition.
Banking on a dogs memory lapses to forget past associations can jeopardise the
Animal’s well being.
“It doesn’t get any easier, just more familiar with each retirement”, was just one of the
concepts I picked up from listening to a tape of other guide dog users discussing their
experiences and feelings when they retired their guide dogs. Other ideas I took to
heart were that I will not be replacing Quincey but finding a successor, the dog will
also experience sorrow when it retires and we both will have our time of sadness over
the change.
As I spent the next few days thinking about the notion of guide dogs as sentient beings,
I began to come to terms with the challenges ahead for me and Quincey. He has
earned the right to the benefit of every ounce of my skill, experience and ability.
It is my obligation to him to work with my travelling companion of a decade to find the
way together for him to the future. I may fail. I may make choices which others think
are not the best. I may not do the retirement thing as flashily and glamourously as
others. I may not succeed. I will try. I will apply the same determination that enabled
me to overcome life’s obstacles to my well being. I will apply this skill to the task of
ensuring his well being after a life of devotion to me.
I sit here typing on a keyboard as Quincey happily sleeps at my feet secure in the
knowledge that all is well as we are together a continent away from our home in a
strange and impersonal hotel room. He is now over nine years old. Age is accelerating
the sense of time passing. We are on the downhill side of our time together. Hopefully
his superb adaptability will carry the day. His experience of visiting thousands of
places, staying in hundreds of different hotels, travelling on countless planes, trains,
buses, cars and meeting innumerable people, is my gift to his future. Whether we are
together or apart in his retirement, whether or not his retirement will be long or short, I
am secure in my new found determination to do what I think is best for him, not what is
best for me, the school or anyone else. It will be our solution and we will tackle it
together with the same professionalism we tackled life together for all these many
years. Sleep on with those contented sighs while I plan this last march route for us
both. I have enough pre retirement sadness for us both.
When things are going well, the person who is blind and the guide dog will not want to
stop working together. As the guide dog grows older, there will be signs of the time.
The guide dog will slow down. The paws will begin to drag on the floor and the
scraping of nails will be heard from time to time. It will take longer to respond. Getting
up will take more time. Those pauses at the bottom of ascending stairs will get longer.
There will not be the eagerness to climb stairs and, after a while, the dog will tend to try
and avoid stairs rather than working to the foot of the stairs. Out of the blue one day a
sighted person may tell you that the dogs eyes are cloudy. The early warning signs
mean that it is time to start planning for the inevitable. There will come a day when it is
time to retire that good companion. The will to work is there but the alertness and
responsiveness is fading. Each of us knows our dog best and we will know when the
time is right.
It is important to think about retirement when the dog is not yet ready. Ask yourself
what type of lifestyle you want for your retired guide dog. Many of these guide dog
users felt it was necessary to do all they could to see that they both have as painless a
transition as possible which includes the very real possibility of separation and/or
participating in the guide dog’s death.
Retiring a guide dog gradually is not an option for active persons. We do not have the
choice of working only one or two days a week. We need to go about our business
every day. Do not procrastinate. Changing routes, walking less, avoiding hills and
difficult routes are not long term solutions. Be just as alert as when crossing a busy
street. Respond to those early warning signs. Sound planning will make this tough
transition work for the team. Now is the time when your dog needs you more than you
have ever needed him/her in the past. It is a life or death decision for the animal. It is
little comfort to know that the dog is growing old with dignity. Sometimes the retirement
is a sudden slap of reality in the face. A terminal illness or injury takes the dogs
precious life suddenly without warning.
Cruelty can end a dogs working life just as suddenly. Guide dogs are at risk every day
of their working lives from unleashed aggressive animals. There are too many stories
of a guide dog being irreparably traumatised as a result of a pit bull clamping its
jaws around the neck of the working animal in harness or a vicious bite as the guide
dog passes a guard dog. One of the nastiest fates I have heard was the effect on a
good working guide dog after the person who is blind and her dog were swarmed
by a group of people in a parking lot of a shopping centre. A circle was formed around
the team and then the gang proceeded to throw fire crackers at the team. The dog was
terrified. Many of us know how uneasy dogs can be when they hear thunder. This
sadism was a crime that went unpunished. The dog had to be retired after the
victimization of this team.
Guide dogs have never been just dogs lazing around. It appears to me that they need
to have a routine, a job and an activity that seems to them to be necessary. They were
brought up right from the time they were puppies to do certain tasks. For these animals
the tasks are the essence of their lives. They are dogs, but dogs with expanded
awareness and unique needs even in retirement. As young dogs, they were highly
adaptable and this strength was capitalised on to facilitate the transferring of the bond
from their mother to the puppy walker, to the trainer and finally to the person who is
blind. Then, the dog and partner share a common bond for a much longer time lasting
many years. It is reasonable to think that the dog will lose some, if not all, of that ability
to bond with yet another person without help and support. The passage of time and the
failure to use that skill means a gradual decline in the bonding ability. The dog’s life
centres around the working pack.
The stress of change can even be seen in my wife’s new dog Zena when Quincey is
away on a trip. Zena seems bored and listless and exhibiting other signs of
displeasure and concern. The point is that, when possible, it is a good idea to start
working the dog into the retirement lifestyle a year or two before the probable
retirement date. Some ideas that come to mind are leaving the dog with a friend for an
evening or weekend and going to work once and a while without the guide dog. The
stability of the familiar routine is still there for reassurance but the dog is exposed to a
more varied pattern in its lifestyle. It will be important to maintain cane skills over the
years in order to be able to implement this strategy. My reader at work tells me that
when I leave Quincey in the office alone with her, he comes over to her and demands
attention before lying at her feet. When my reader is not in the office and I leave for a
while, Quincey will stay but he will be near the door searching for me as he patiently
waits.
In addition to preparing the retiring guide dog for the final transition, I think it is
important to give some thought to the animal’s routine after retirement. Luna has the
job of guarding the house and we all make a fuss over her before we leave and when
we return. It is a small job, but the attention makes her think she is contributing.
Skeptics should take note of the fact that until we started this routine with Luna she was
refusing to eat and exhibiting signs of stress. She did not want to go to the
Neighbour’s house. Because Luna only has three good paws and great difficulty
seeing this is as active a job as she can handle. Other creative employment for retired
guide dogs that have been mentioned include, therapy dogs, companion dogs at
nursing homes or hospitals, comfort dogs for children receiving inoculations at a
doctor’s office.
If possible, you could meet the new people who will care for your retired guide dog
several times before the big day. The dog would get used to the new home and people
before losing the daily routine with you. This gradual change will allow the lessening
of the bond a little at a time. Eventually the dog will accept that it is okay to let that
person groom the guide dog and it is okay to have activities without the harness or the
person who is blind. We kept Luna’s harness. While we never used her handle after
retirement or ask her to guide, once in a while we will put the harness on her as part of
her walk around the block, especially if we plan to go to the corner store or to some other public places. Luna gets very excited and likes just having the harness on
one more time. After all, the leather harness was a daily part of her life for years.
Taking it away suddenly just makes the change greater.
There is no right way to retire a guide dog. It is not a question of obedience, training or
breeding. There is no one size fits all solution. Returning the guide dog to the puppy
walkers or the school, finding a new home yourself or keeping the retired guide dog are
all successful options used by other guide dog users. Each situation is unique and has
its own specific challenges.
Most schools will provide counselling and assistance to the person who is blind when
retiring a dog. Usually the user has the first option to keep the retiring guide dog. If the
user is not able to keep the guide dog, then the puppy walker will be approached to see
if that family would like to have the dog come live with them. If the user has a friend or
acquaintance who wants to look after the retired guide dog, an arrangement with them
is seriously considered and sometimes takes precedence over asking the puppy
walkers if they would like to have the retired guide dog. Most schools have a long list
of volunteers who would like to have a retired guide dog come live with them. If the
retiring guide dog comes back to the school, a placement is made with one of the
people on the waiting list. Usually the person caring for the retired guide dog pays for
food and medical expenses. Some schools offer assistance with the expenses of
caring for a retired guide dog and many persons who are blind contribute financially to
the cost of caring for their retired guide dog.
Information and planning are great aids. I found the tape “What It is Really Like to
Retire a Guide Dog” a valuable, relevant and practical resource. I am convinced that
the best retirement choices are the ones that are well planned, talked out with friends,
the vet, the school and others who will help to build the consensus that moves the
retirement process forward in a positive and human way for all. The user knows the
guide dog best and is, in my opinion, the most qualified person to plan the retirement
route with the sensitive support of the community. Emotional support can enhance your
ability to support your guide dog during this trying time, at the end of its life or during
the transition to retirement. It is inevitable that this will be a time of grieving. The
sorrow is the source of the strength needed to face the challenge.
Having seen the effects of retirement on the guide dog of my spouse and having the
opportunity to consider this question well before the dreaded retirement day have
fortified me to face the time when Quincey retires. I never want the retirement day for
him to come but when did I ever get my own way?
Patiently Waiting
Luna and Quincey are at the Rainbow Bridge now They both have left us for a while. Luna’s life ended on after . Quincey did not have to try any more on September 21, 2002 after two years and three months of retirement. Both went when they were ready. We would never be ready for that time and so focusing on the faithful servant and their well being was the only way to move forward together. Every time is traumatic. It The anguish is not lessened the second time around. If anything it is stronger as we relive Lunas last day with us as we start to really miss Mr. Quin, The Mighty Quinn, Mr. Piggy, Mr. stomach, the Q dog my friend and helper!
Sometimes he solved problems for me, sometimes he kept me company, sometimes he comforted me and always he gave me the courage to keep on trying. Quincey and Luna were always there for us when we needed them but it is cold comfort to know that we were there when they really needed us to care and love them. July driving us to Luna’s final destination on earth on a cloudy day and Mike taking us with Quincey on a Saturday evening to a place of rest kept us from going too.
In human years he had sixteen years of retirement. He thrived on change. He had lots of changes to adapt to in his retirement. He made the transition to family pet like he did everything else with dignity and a plodding confidence that kept him ahead of the pack. He slept on the bed. He had sleep overs at our daughters apartment. He visited our friends at their home. He wore his body harness without the handle and went to Rocking Johnny’s restaurant with us. Quincey had many visitors. Old friends both human and canine like Aster dropped by to socialize. He made new friends quickly when we moved to Kanata. His charm melted an entire new group of harts who came to admire his poise and dignity. .
Like most things we did in life together the road to the new home in Kanata was a tough road littered with challenges, unexpected obstacles and unexpected problems. When the new house was delayed and the old home in Orleans was sold : we were homeless for three months. Suzie, our realist ate lady let us use her two bedroom condo. So we moved into yet another institution with our two guide dogs and Quincey. The first evening when we took them out to relieve before bed we heard a banshee wailing from seven floors above. “don’t do that here. Get away. Dogs are not allowed here.”.
The dogs were quiet and never bothered anyone. A week or so later Suzy received a letter reminding her of the No Pets policy in the Atrium Condominium complex. It as survival time. We had not any options. So the next day, armed with the three guide dog licenses, I went to the office and had a chat about the law and the five thousand dollar per dog, per occurrence penalty for interfering with our animals. A rather sour sounding clerk demanded “why do you need three dogs?” I replied by objecting to the question and comparing it to asking her why she needed a separate washroom and did not use a Urinal. We were on very shaky ground with no wear to turn. They backed off for the moment but if Quincey stayed with us it would only lead to more strife.
We used the time bluffing and confrontation bought us to search for an acceptable alternative for Quincey during our homelessness. As it turned out the threat of fines meant that no one bothered us for the rest of our time there. We learned that the Board had put the word out to leave us alone.
However, the arrangement of living in an apartment was not a good one for Quincey. We had not expected to be homeless. We turned to old friends for help and support . Jane, Luna’s Puppy Walker step forward. She took Quincey for a summer vacation in the Gatanos at her cottage. He slept the summer away at her fee under her hammock occasionally lumbering into the water to cool off and teasing her nine year old dog Belinda. Jane had puppy walked Belinda but the guide dog had to retire at age six because of arthritis. Quincy and Belinda had a great summer. We talked with Jane weekly to get news of Quincey. It was decided not to visit him during the summer because he would think his separation was over or he would long to leave with us. We were correct. When he joined us in our new home in Kanata, he wagged his tail marched around the house and then laid down giving us the clear message that Quincey is glad to be home too.
We were glad to all be together again. He went for a walk in the little forest behind our development. When we worked friends volunteered to come at lunch and take him for a walk. It soon became apparent that he know where he wanted to go. He decided the walk rout and always went to his forest for a while. He guarded the house while we were away now that Luna had moved on. We left the radio on for him to listen to while Quincey was alone. He enjoyed the winter in our new home. We knew his time was coming as he began to loose wait and stamina. The goal was for him to lay in our new grass. The laying of sod kept being delayed from the spring to early summer. Finally in August the sod were laid and for six weeks he was able to lay out in the grass and watch life go by. Occasionally our new neighbors would stop by to give him a pat in the grass. So he thump his tail when anyone came near to entice them to say Hi to Quincey.
Quincy’s last day was a happy one. He went for a little walk with Marilyn. He laid in the fresh grass at our new home. He raised his nose and scented life in the breeze. He had a car ride resting on the floor behind the driver with his head once again between the bucket seats making shore he saw we were going the right way. Quincey laid down on his bed, wagged his tail in thanks, gave us a good by lick and went on alone for a while in peace to rest up for eternity together.
He enriched our lives like no one else could. He is still with us as is the gratitude for the support many gave us to ensure he had a quality life full of fun and caring companions. Quincey we will never forget. We have all the pictures, articles and stories you starred in to help strengthen our loving memories of you and Luna our heroes.
Every time there is a full moon we see Luna watching over us. Quincy will soon let us know is watching over us too.
Others recollect
Luna
Quincey
While the wound is still raw, I wanted to let those who have known Chris’s
wonderful retired guide dog Quincey, who has been living his two and a
half years of retirement with us, that he crossed the rainbow bridge a few
hours ago … He was, and still is, the best guide dog I have ever seen,
and I have seen many, including mine … We miss you Quincey, but memories
will stay in our hearts …
Marie
…
Marie
>
>please pass on my condolences to Chris, I had the opportunity to meet
>Quincy a few years back, Della who has synced passed over to the
>rainbow bridge this past January, and Quincy along with Astra and vixen
>had a grand old time running around Doreen’s backyard. I remember
>Quincy as a beautiful golden, my thoughts are with you and Chris at
>this time. Christine Ross and Betsy
…
…
Good old Quincey. He may be gone, but I will never forget him. What a great friend and pleasure he was to have visit my home on many occasions.
Take comfort, Marie Chris & Chantel. You sure had a good run with Quince.
Martin
…
Chris, Pat just told me about Quincy. I am very sorry to hear about his passing and know how difficult this time is for you. Quincy was a wonderful, hard-working guide dog and a faithful and loyal companion for so many years. He helped blaze many trails for you and more than in just the literal sense. He was your first guide dog wasn’t he, and I am sure that he will always have a special place in your heart. Chris, I think Quincy knew how much he was loved and he had certainly had a good and full life. I am sure you will be able to take some comfort in all the wonderful memories of the time and the special bond you had with him. I will always remember the delightful visits I got from time to time with Quincy when he used to wander into my office to say hello and stay for a pat when we were on the 15th floor. Please pass on my sympathies to Marie and your family.
Joan
……
Marie and Chris:
I wanted to also offer my condolences at this time. The few times I saw Chris and Quincy working together, I always appreciated the professional and stately manor Quincy behaved. This was something I hoped my dog would achieve. Lets just say that she did not quite achieve that standard but I still love my old but still feisty lab retriever.
Richard and the currently sunning herself Gina
Thank you for sharing these articles with me. I certainly fell in love with Quincey, he was a wonderful friend. You and Marie will miss him terribly but with time you will begin to remember all the good times you had with him. He will always be in your heart. Let me know when you want to go to the School in Manotick. If you want to go somewhere tomorrow (Tues.) Ican go in the morning however I do the Companion dog volunteer in the p.m.so I have to be back home by noon. Talk to you soon.
Marilyn
…
…
…
Good morning,
I want to wish you as well as your family, strength and courage during this hard time. Chris, unfortunately I have nothing to offer you except some words and tears. My heart and my thoughts are with you. Béatrice
…
…
Marie and Chris:
Here are my condolences for both of you on the passing of Quincy. Know that you are thought about at this time.
Chris Moor
…
Hi Marie and Chris:
What a sad day to have such a special guide, friend leave you both. We remember so many stories that Chris shared with us as he and you traveled and did things together. Maybe you can tell us how the end came and whether quincey suffered much? Thanks for sharing the sad news with us. Many GDUC members will have experienced such a loss.
I haven’t had the experience of loosing a guide dog, but having to say goodbye to special companions and friends has always been hard for me. Perhaps more so because I am quite an emotional person when it comes to unpleasant or extremely good news! Yet special people or animals bring joy into our lives and they create the best memories. The heartache is the price paid for having the privilege of sharing your life with special friends.
My thoughts are with you both; I am extra glad to have read stories about such a remarkable guide dog. Good bye quincey, may you rest in peace..
Penny
…
Chris.
Je suis très désolé d’apprendre la nouvelle concernant Quincy. Je sais à quel point cette situation est douloureuse pour toi et ta famille.
Take care.
Michel.
inner Strength
If you can start the day without caffeine or pep pills,
If you can be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains,
If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles,
If you can eat the same food everyday and be grateful for it,
If you can understand when loved ones are too busy to give you time,
If you can overlook when people take things out on you when,
through no fault of yours, something goes wrong,
If you can take criticism and blame without resentment,
If you can face the world without lies and deceit,
If you can conquer tension without medical help,
If you can relax without liquor,
If you can sleep without the aid of drugs,
If you can do all these things,
Then you are probably the family dog.
…
May I Go?
by Susan A. Jackson
Do you think the time is right?
May I say goodbye to pain filled days and endless lonely nights?
I’ve lived my life and done my best, an example tried to be.
So can I take that step beyond, and set my spirit free?
I didn’t want to go at first, I fought with all my might.
But something seems to draw me now to a warm and living light.
I want to go, I really do; it’s difficult to stay.
But I will try as best I can to live just one more day.
To give you time to care for me and share your love and fears.
I know you’re sad and afraid, because I see your tears.
I’ll not be far, I promise that, and hope you’ll always know,
That my spirit will be close to you wherever you may go.
Thank you so for loving me. You know I love you too,
And that’s why it’s hard to say goodbye and end this life with you.
So hold me now just one more time and let me hear you say,
Because you care so much for me, you’ll let me go today.
September 21 2002