During my now-eight long road camping trips with my dogs across this great continent, i have travelled many fascinating roads, pitched my tent in some marvelous camps, seen some unbelievably incredible natural views, witnessed many awesome sunrises and sunsets, and experienced adventures -some unwanted - i could not have imagined in my wildest dreams. To make these journeys more valuable, i met some of the most incredibly hospitable, gracious, friendly and helpful people, fellow travelers, locals and professionals offering needed assistance alike, on this planet. But best of all, i got a chance to meet some of the most beautiful and sweetest dogs i have ever met in my life, and that made these journeys complete.
Several weeks ago, on the day i retrieved my Defender from John's Auto Repair in the Yukon, i reported that Summer, the sweet yellow lab rescued dog belonging to Matt who works at John's Auto, where Summer was a fixture, was just that day diagnosed with cancer. Matt broke the sad news to me yesterday that Summer suddenly took a turn for the worse last Thursday and had to be put down this past Tuesday.
I knew Summer for only a brief period of time, five weeks, but i cannot ever recall being so charmed by a dog, or a person for that matter, as i was Summer. As I sat in the shop's waiting room, i could not take my eyes off her as she slept cuddled up in her bed nearby. She was the consummate dog.
Summer was perhaps only five years old when she died this week. Matt and Winnie, her guardians, were deprived of perhaps another five years of sheer joy by her death. So were those of us who knew her. And so, too, the many people who never met Summer but might have had she lived a full life also lost out on the chance to meet one heck of a gentle, sweet, beautiful dog.
Matt wrote that he is grief-stricken at night now when he comes home and Summer is not at the top of the stairs with her toy animal in her mouth, wagging her tail. How many of us who have lost pets know what pain he is going through now?
Reading Matt's eloquent message about Summer's death brought tears to my eyes, still does. What was clear from his message was that both he and Summer realky lucked out in finding each other. It is sad when any loved creature dies, but when a young dog like Summer, still a puppy, dies, it is also unfair. Reading this sad news should make all of us who are guardians of pets go hug them a little more tonight, and when you do, tell them, Summer asked you to do this.
I took this photo of Summer about an hour before Matt got the news that the tumor removed from her right shoulder was cancerous.
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