[pyrnet] CHAT: Life after Clondike

[David P Kintsfather Jr <kintsfat@kutztown.edu>]

Clondike was a Great Pyrenees bitch who went to the Rainbow Bridge in
Feb. at the age of 13 and 3 months.  She came from a humble background as
a puppymill/petstore dog who at 11 months outgrew her row house in NYC and
came to live with us courtesy of Penn-Dutch and PFNE Pyr Rescue groups.

Clondike taught us a lot about life and love, beginning a career as a
therapy dog at age 9 1/2 and quickly becoming a favorite at the local
nursing home.  At age 11 1/2, while undergoing chemotherapy for lymphoma,
she traveled 15 hours to Chicago to show me off in Veterans Class at the
1999 Great Pyrenees Club of America (GPCA) National--the first point show
for either of us.  Her many fans from the Internet marveled at how she
baited for Brussels sprouts.

Clondike lived 32 months from diagnosis with lymphoma, doubling the life
expectancy for dogs treated at this clinic, and she continued to amaze all
her vets with her spirit and love of life.  An x-ray taken 3 days before
she had to be euthanized for complications of arthritis and old age showed
no obvious cancer, so she was a cancer survivor!

While we had planned to wait a few months before taking on another Pyr, in
a matter of weeks we got an urgent call from Penn-Dutch Rescue asking if
we could foster a 3 1/2 year-old bitch named Abigail for "a week or
2."  Four weeks to the hour after taking Clondike on that last ride to the
vet we took off to pick up Ms. Abigail and within 24 hours she had stolen
our hearts.

Abigail has some problems with territorial aggression and is on a
combination of behavioral therapy and Prozac, but she is the most
affectionate Pyr we have ever had!  We were able to take her to the 2001
GPCA National and participate in the Club's first-ever Parade of Rescue
Dogs, dedicated in part to Clondike's memory--a really moving experience.

We have just signed the papers to formally adopt Abigail, who is becoming
much more social as we expose her to a variety of people and
events.  She's not ready to become a therapy dog just yet, but she is a
loving companion and she makes us laugh.

Clondike's loss has been really hard on Nancy and me, but with the support
of friends all over the world and the love of Ms. Abigail we are managing.

Hugs to all,

David, Nancy, Abigail (the Prozac Princess) and Angel Clondike (still very
much with us in spirit) 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 David Kintsfather, Ph.D.       | PHONE:       (610) 683-4497
 Prof. of Telecommunications    | FAX:         (610) 683-4659
 Kutztown University            | E-MAIL:      kintsfat@kutztown.edu
 PO Box 730                     | "We need not think alike to love alike."
 Kutztown, PA  19530-0730       |              Francis David
----------------------------------------------------------------------------