Shadow, the Wonder Dog

by Janey Mac
(Kilkenny, Ireland)

This frosty cold morning at 12:20 AM our beloved Shadow took his last breath. Gently he went into that good night, after holding us in his enormous heart for 16 and a half wonderful blessed and happy years.

He chose us, by holding onto my daughter's finger as a plump puppy, amongst a litter of ten scrumptious golden retrievers who lay under apple trees in a garden in Oxford, like ripe juicy plums in the heat of a hazy summer's day.

We called him Shadow, after Shadow in the story and movie Homeward Bound. He turned out to be just like that Shadow, wise and wonderful and gentle and kind with an everlasting zest for life and open spaces, acres of woods, parks in London where he would ignore all the signs and clear fences to chase rabbits and ducks and swans... thankfully never catching one!

Faithfully following us everywhere, taking my daughter to and from school, waiting for her to dash off to a park with him, running free, endlessly chasing, happily greeting anyone who came his way, bounding, smiling, fetching sticks and balls, tug of wars with her, such endlessly happy memories. Some of our best friends came to us through him.

Now she is 23, and he departed from us almost in his 17th year.

He was a magnet, and people from all over the world would stop to speak to him in London... in their own language. From Japan to Brazil, from France to Argentina, they would stoop down and stroke and pat him and look into his sparkling eyes and connect with his soul, moving on when they were ready, their day having been brightened by his happy, strong, wise face.

He bounced on beds with us. He licked us and snuggled into us and knew always the time to comfort us when we were sad.

Then moving home to Ireland he grew a woolier coat and chased the odd sheep...he swam with endless relish in the Atlantic ocean. Down in the wilds of West Cork, he won the hearts of everyone he met.

He loved us and we loved him and as he lies here at my feet awaiting burial, he looks as if he is asleep, the most handsome dog in the world. The snow is falling gently and tomorrow we will break the ground in his favourite garden where he would chase the pheasants and worry our cats up the trees.

He will always be in our heartbroken hearts, our most beloved darling, faithful, kind dog... just like the kind dog from the Ant and Bee books.

Farewell dearest friend.

Thank you for a lifetime of joy.

Farewell our best, beloved Shadow.

Thank you everyone who wrote on this wonderful site. What a joy it is to share all your doggie stories. How privileged we are to have shared our lives with them.