I will never forget the day I saw the advertisement on the supermarket notice board “ puppy labra doddle to a good home”,
I went to view that puppy and there started an 11 and a half year friendship. Boy did Annie drive us crazy at the beginning, chewing shoes and toys and getting out of everything we confined her to. What a feisty girl she was, but she fitted in so quickly and became part of our family, in those early years when the kids were little there were numerous trips to the beach and holidays and Annie was always at our side. Her infamous high pitched bark at times drove us crazy but now she is gone we long to hear it again.
When Annie was three we decided to get Keeky to keep her company. Keeky grew bigger than Annie and became a bit of a bossy boots but Keeky and Annie grew to love each other so much. When Keeky had her leg operation and was in the vets Annie was lost without her., just like Keeky is lost without Annie now she is gone. The two of them were real mischievous together, once getting out of the fence and disappearing for 4 nights into the bush, I cried and cried desperately for them both,miraculously my husband Dennis found them in a monsoon water encatchment not too far from death. How happy we were that our girls were both alive and okay.
My neighbour Anne who also had several dogs used to spend a lot of time with us, me and Anne would walk in the Valley we lived in, with the dogs, they were fun times all the dogs would play together. Anne had a big tree in her backyard that they would chase each other around for hours and Annie of course would bark at them all. We used to joke that Annie was going to marry Buffie one of Anne’s dogs, it was an on-going joke for many years.
Many more years followed of other times that were not so happy, Annie and Keeky were always at my side to comfort and give me unconditional love. The 3 years I spent alone, the company and love they gave to me was the only thing that kept me going.
Then on the 16th of August 2010 my daughter Jessica called me to say Annie had been sick. I rushed home to find her in the garden not able to get up. I took her quickly to the vet, the news was not good. I was told to go home and wait until tests had been done. I hugged and kissed her and said a quick goodbye, we were called and told that she had a growth on the liver and the only hope was to operate, but the chances were not good because of her deteriorating condition. She did not survive the operation the dreaded phone call came to say she was gone. The vet told me after she was full of cancer. I couldn’t beleive that up to that point she had never complained or showen signs that she was sick. My world shattered and my grief was so bad.
Although your not here with me now “my Annie girl” the memory of you will remain in my heart for always and when the trucks drive down the Valley with the barking dogs on the back and I remember how you would rush to the back yard and bark to them I will think of you and the times we spent together and your memory and
friendship will never be forgotten.
Goodbye My Dear Anne,
| Annie |
| Clairey Yendoll |