I wanted to leave this last message for My Dearest Girl Cait.

I am getting ready to move on.

You see, this body that I have been living in is getting tired. Even though you may not really know what is going on inside, my organs have stopped doing their job. There is nothing anyone can do to make them start again. The tears have been falling and the prayers have been sent up but, I really must go. It’s not that I want to leave you, I love you very much. I just have a new calling and I can not do it here in this body. You will know in your heart when the time is right to let me go.

I know now that there are angels that watch over us. I now realize that when I was lost and thought I was all alone, I was not. I was lead by my own guardian angel to you. I had times in my life when I thought I would die but, there were a few things I needed to learn before I left. I needed you!

I came to your door dirty, sick, and could not hardly swallow from being in the heat so long. Not only had my body been battered and bruised but, so had my heart. I had not learned what it was like to be loved. I would never know what love was if I had not met you.

You took me in and cleaned me up. You gave me food and water to help my body heal. Most of all you held me in your lap, you stroked my back and talked to me in a kind voice.

You taught me that I did not have to be afraid of feet, they were no longer going to hurt me. A raised hand now meant that you were going to pet me tenderly. Now, when a voice was loud I did not need to be afraid of what was coming next, I learned that the louder it got the more fun we had. After meeting you, night time meant that I would have a warm bed to cuddle in. If I was cold or needed to be close I just went right under the covers next to you. You have shown me what unconditional love is.

In time you will see that I am not really gone, I am always with you when you need me. Just think of me and you will hear the patter of my feet, I will be dancing by the door, and when you feel warmth on your lap, know it is me. Our unconditional love will carry us through even though my body is gone.

Keep your heart open. There are so many other animals that are just like I was, lost, beaten, and broken. As a guardian angel I will be looking to lead them to someone just like you. Someone with a heart as big as the ocean. Someone to show them everlasting and unconditional love. I want them to know someone like you. Cait, you are an angel on earth.

I am getting very tired now, and the time to leave is near. I see that an angel has come to help me move on. By the time you get this message I will have sent an angel to help dry your tears and put their comforting arms around you.

I love you,
Tomarra

Tomarra Hagar became a guardian angel on Dec. 2, 2008
We believe that she will help comfort and guide other dogs that are lost, abandoned, or abused.

Tomarras About Me

We are making donations in Tomarras’ name to a local vet that uses the funds to help people pay for medications and care that they may not otherwise be able to afford. We would like to thank you for your donation to help those that need care for their furry family members.

Today I want to talk to you about my best friend. This morning I had to take my red cattle dog down to the vet to get her put to sleep. She's been with me for 13 years, was my most loyal companion, and it was simply her time.

My wife and I love our animals, and the hardest thing is always making that decision when it's time to say goodbye. We did that this morning and it hurts like a bitch. I've been sitting at home since, packing, as I'm off to Orlando tomorrow (talk about timing), and I got to thinking.

Last week I went to a funeral, a tragic accident that led to a wonderful lady's death, and her eulogy on the day was just wonderful. Heartfelt, funny, and most importantly something that really communicated how she was as a person.

Over the years I've been to many, many funerals, well over 50 (it's not exactly something you keep tabs on), due to my involvement in charity work over the years, as well as some losses a lot closer to home. So I know the score on how these things work. The eulogy is the single most important part of the service, and something that needs to be thoughtfully put together.

So today, after saying goodbye to Sophie and coming home, I got to thinking. Why are there no eulogies for pets? Sophie meant more to me than most human beings, so I feel she deserves one. It won't have the traditional format, but I want people to know how important this dog was to me. So here goes...

Sophie was a stray who luckily found herself showing up at just the right time. We guessed she was about 6 weeks old, and she had been abandoned. Some friends found her but couldn't keep her, so she became part of my family.

She shared many a house with me over the 13 years we were together, always leaving her mark and getting to know people in the neighbourhood. I'll give you two examples.

At one house we had a window box in the master bedroom that faced the road. It was a pretty busy road and many people walked past all day. Sophie would sit there for hours, with front paws up on the window sill. Every time someone walked past, she would give a friendly bark of hello. Of course if they didn't say hello back she'd just bark more until they did. A lot of people got to know her and looked forward to saying hello to her on their way to or from work. So many people asked me her name that I think at one point we even had a sign up under the window that said, "Hi, My name's Sophie". Some people would even call out her name if she wasn't there and she'd come running. It was a great routine and we loved living in that house.

At another house, the street was a lot quieter and I thought she was missing her window box. She also had to be kept outside and I put up some high fences to keep her in the yard. We had a house warming party about 2 months after we moved in. One of the guests upon arriving announced, "oh, is that your dog?" After asking around it turned out that Sophie had been escaping every day just after I left for work, and had worked out a daily route of the people she wanted to visit. They all got to know her and looked forward to her visits. And all the while I thought she been at home, bored.

Any house we lived in, the other people living with us always loved having her around as well. She had a strong personality that was always part of the household, not just a pet. There are just so many memories there, in all of those houses. From being given a whole pizza to herself when one housemate, home alone, ordered a two for one deal, to deciding the presents under the Christmas tree one year were all for her (to be destroyed or eaten), to not taking kindly to not being fed some of the fish and chips we were eating, and then sneakily taking my wristwatch out into the backyard to destroy it and teach me a lesson.

Sophie has also had other pets in the house to keep her company. Two cats have been in her life, one called Tom who never showed her anything but contempt, and a huge tabby called Tigger that Sophie would follow around the house wanting to play with. She never quite worked out that he wasn't interested. Tigger would put up with her nose prodding for a few minutes, before quickly giving her a swat across the nose. She'd run scurrying away, but would be back in minutes.

There have also been 2 dogs she's shared a lot of time with. Sadia was a beautiful black lab that at first wasn't too keen on this bright bubbly red cattle dog moving in. They did become good friends though, to the point of almost being inseparable and taking on some of the same traits. We're convinced to this day that Sadia taught Sophie how to smile to get food when people were eating. She'd never done it until she moved in with Sadia.

In the last three years Sophie's constant companion has been our beagle Charlie. He loves her so much he was constantly wanting to lay down next to her. She just wanted her own space when sleeping, so she'd shuffle around trying to get move away a little bit only to have him move in closer as soon as she'd stop moving. Then you'd hear this big sigh from Soph as in, "fine. I give up." She did like having him around though. Having someone to playfight with is always important for a dog in her senior years.

The standout thing for me about Sophie though, was her constant companionship. She was always wherever you were in the house, always happy to see you, and always keenly aware of our moods. She knew when things weren't right and put her head on your lap or nudge you to get some attention. She was like a walking security blanket, one that would always make you feel good just by her being there. Dog's have intuition and empathy, that's why they're man's best friend. She was my best friend.

Written by Andrew Nez
Wednesday, 22 October 2008

Dogs with Accessories would like to introduce one of our new friends Penny. She is very cute, and looks like she's living the life. Pretty pink sheets she's laying on. Oh sweetness.

This is Penny.


She is about to turn 8 years old and is a King Charles Caviler Spaniel. She is a huge handful but I love her tons and she will always just be the perfect little dog in my eyes.

She was a rescue we found wandering around on the beach here in Washington. She had tags and we tried to contact the owners, but it was a no go.

I love her with all my heart and couldn’t live a day without her. Because she's a caviler, she is bred for companionship and this really shines through my little lady.

I decided to name her Penny because that evening when we brought her home, she had tried to swallow a penny and almost choked. It only seemed fitting for her.
She is very spoiled, and gets more treats then she probably should. Treats, not pennies.

She has her favorite toy called Joey, it’s some stuffed animal my sister got at McDonalds. She has had that for about as long as I can remember.

Kelly and my dog Penny.

We would like to introduce Bosco as one of our very first pampered pups.
Tomarra

I'm Bosco, but my Momma says I am the biggest, badest boy out there. I'm a Jack Russell. I love going to the big park and hanging with all the big boys....... Girls too. I know I can kick all their butts in any kind of tug-a-war.

Oh yeah, check this out. I was at the park one time and me and my best buddy were playing tug-a-war. He had one end and I had the other. Well him being a pit-bull he was soo much stronger, but don’t think for one second I was giving up. HECK NO. I held on for dear life, even though I had all fours off the ground. Yeah and I kicked his butt, he ain’t got nothing on me. Nu-huh.

My favorite accessories are. Well, I don't really know. Anything I can chew up and anything that makes noise, which everyone hates. Oh well, they buy them for me what do they expect? I do always make sure I have my Doggles incase we go for a ride. I always wear my jacket if it’s cold, Oh and my awesome backpack. Ya’ never know when you might need a treat of some poop bags. I chewed up a little toy ball one time and had to have surgery to get it removed from my intestines. I think it’s funny now, but I sure didn’t then.

I used to live with these people that had 4 kids. YA KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS? 8 hands tackling me. That’s ok though, they gave me to my Mommy now. I love her, haha yeah she gives me all kinds of treats.

I really like taking MY Mom for a walk. I mean she likes to think she’s taking me for a walk, but she is sadly mistaken.

I must say, I am a little chuck of love. I mean look at me, who couldn’t love me? I do eat allot of food, probably to much, BUT I’m big boned and healthy.

Bosco lives with Debbie in Florida