Yesterday afternoon Scout was sitting on the floor playing with her toys while I worked on the computer. Lizzie came up and lied down against her...this is unusual since Lizzie usually avoided Scout. Scout pet her and talked to her for several minutes before Lizzie got up and walked away.
Lizzie turned 16 years old last April. I hardly remember my life before she came. I remember what an awesome frisbee player she was. She always caught it and no matter how fast she seemed to run she could always turn on the after burners if she needed them. She loved cats. She loved the water, as soon as the kayak was on the water she was the first one in. She would swim all day, even diving under to retrieve a stick that didn't float. She visited nursing homes, marched in parades, performed demos at schools, touched more hearts then I could possibly count.
Of course she was a search dog. She earned that title while she was young but spent most of her life playing second string to Barkley. She didn't seem to mind. She finally got her day, at the age of 10, to get a mission of her own. She went to Katrina. She ran circles around the dogs half her age in the 100 degree heat. After the end of the work day she helped distribute supplies to the survivors, visited with the other rescue workers and anyone else that needed a little "dog therapy". She was accepting of little Stennis, who survived the hurricane and returned home with us. She gave closure to the family of the missing woman she located. She only had one mission but she gave every ounce of herself all day, everyday and couldn't have made me prouder.
She retired to the life of Ski Patrol. Riding the lift up the mountain and running down alongside me. There is nothing more enjoyable then taking the first run of the day, in fresh snow, all alone on the mountain with your partner. She loved this job. She loved all the kids and people that she met everyday while skiing.
Eventually she couldn't run the mountain anymore. She mostly stayed home with rides in the Jeep and walks on the beach her favorite activities. The past couple years she lost her hearing and her eyesight was pretty bad....but her spirit was never changed. She never complained, never showed signs of pain. Her daily mission was to keep track of me and be at my side where ever that was. No matter how many times we went in and out of the house, up and down the stairs or back and fourth in the yard she was always right there. We always new when it was 7 am and 5 pm...feeding time...she would not let us forget.
Lizzie had more heart then any dog I have ever known. Her loyalty was amazing.
She is free again, free from the old body that held her amazing spirit....
Lizzie April 1, 1993 - October 8 2009
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