Exiting grief

 It felt like I had sat in a car at 400km/h and hit a coconut tree, everything was obliterated and I walked out with just a sprained ankle. We mourned the passing of a family member and at the height of this emotional roller coaster, I went through denial, anguish, despair, a huge sense of loss, regret, and self-pity. I took it rather hard because I spent a great deal of time with my dogs. This is apparent when I am no longer in employment. There were long hours with the dogs as my companion. So, having said that, the bond is very close. Kitto's passing was sudden and nobody saw that coming. So, as a cautionary tale, if you have a female dog, and do not have plans to get a litter, please spay her. She will enjoy a longer life. 

Now the dust has settled, it's time to set new priorities. I have Bandit, the last of our pack, and it is my responsibility to take good care of him as I had with Kitto. The whole experience taught me something: Life is short.

I have to make use of time in a good and organized way. I took it back to the range to work on my archery form, which totally sucked in a big way. There is a tournament this weekend and this is a good way to focus on positivity and get into the game mindset. We have a bigger game down South at the end of the month and we need our minds to be on the game. I kept myself busy by building new competition arrows for Michelle. As for Bandit, we do full loops on our daily walks to get our hearts pumping and blood flowing. Time to move on and get back to where we were...

Rock bottom

 IT'S been 24 hours since we lost Kitto, our seven-year-old female Siberian Husky. Her sudden departure has left a big hole in our lives. 

I've experienced losing a family member, and close friends, but nothing has ever prepared me for the sudden demise of a pet dog, one which is very close to the family and a constant companion. I'm so used to having a pair of dogs waiting for me at the gate, now it's only one and the loss of his companion is slowly sinking in.
"Kitto's gone, boy...", I said to Bandit. He gazes into the distance, perhaps waiting for Kitto to come back home. The harsh reality is that things are no longer the same.

For me, it was rock bottom. I cleared off some of Kitto's belongings. Her crate was moved to storage. Some of her items were set aside. The lair that she used to sleep in is now vacant. It's hard to get the images out of my mind. What made me feel even sad is the fact that Kitto is still young. Her rapidly deteriorating health and death were sudden. I was looking forward to at least 10 - 12 years of having this pack together. This was my experience with my first pack of Siberian Huskies. Both lived to 12 and 13 respectively. At that age, every day, week, and month is an added bonus and when it comes to death at old age, it was acceptable. Kitto was around 7 years of age and I felt she was gone way too soon. With that in mind, I sank into further despair. I had Michelle, my wife to talk about this, something to air off my chest. Given the best of what we can to Kitto, I have come to terms that she was gone. Her mild temperament and constant companionship are irreplaceable. It will take time to suck it all up and move on...

I will utilize my time with Bandit to fulfilling my responsibilities, take good care of him, and include him in my outdoor pursuit. The older pack was lucky enough to go on hikes and a trip to the beach. And this is something that I owe my boy. Together, we will overcome our loss and heal the wound.

Dame Queenie 2006-2018

The vet rang up to inform the passing of Dame Queenie. My heart sank. She has been critically ill for the past few days and was treated at the Gasing Animal Hospital. The vet and medical staff there has given her the best treatment they can to alleviate her suffering from tick fever.
I picked up her body and laid her to rest next to Sir Naughty who died in December last year. The two were inseparable. I guess after the death of Sir Naughty, Queenie has been missing him. Now they are together again.

Throughout her life, Queenie has been a feisty pup. Always the expressive one and was also a great companion. We raised her from 8 weeks old right to her ripe old age of 12. So, losing a dog after so many years can be emotionally tough. We don't have children and we kept the dogs as our companion. Through the years, Sir Naughty and Dame Queenie have given us smiles on our faces. 

We missed both our kids and now, the legacy carries on with Bandit and Daisy, our latest addition to the Samopack. 
Rest in peace Queenie and thank you for all those good memories! Love, Momma and Poppa Samo....

Sir Clifford McNaughty 2004 - 2017

A day in living memory...

IT was a dreadful moment when I had to make the call to euthanize my 13-year-old male Siberian Husky.
We had Sir Naughty in our home since 2004 and I will never forget that fateful day when I picked him up as a pup from my mom in-law's home in Petaling Jaya.
Naughty lived with us for a year before we welcomed another Siberian Husky Dame Queenie. Both as been partners for as long as I can recall. 

Sir Naughty and his faithful partner Dame Queenie

My boy's health has deteriorated through the years and lately, he lost a lot of weight. We introduced two more dogs to the house and that's where things went South for our old boy. Two weeks ago, he was injured in the face after fighting with Bandit, our new dog. Naughty went into a recluse and develope maggot wound infection. 
His condition worsened and it came to a point where he couldn't walk anymore. It was a devastating sight to see a healthy dog deteriorate right before your eyes...

The mischievous pup

Sir Naughty, as I would remember him the best

Towards the end of his lifespan, Naughty was in constant pain. He peed and pooped all over himself. I knew I had to make a decision to ease his suffering with a trip to the vet today.
I put him on the inspection table, the veterinarian gave her prognosis. I told her that I don't want him to suffer anymore.
While giving him a pat on the head, I said: "Thank you boy, for all the great years, you don't have to suffer anymore. Goodbye boy..."
I can sense that he was calm before going to sleep. I have even prepared to bury him at my neighbor's orchard. I asked Mr. Huang if I could lay him to rest near his fruit trees. The man agreed. 
I signed a consent form for the euthanization and picked up his body from the consultation room. We headed back to one last ride home. I placed his body respectfully into his grave, buried him and said a prayer.
Sir Naughty is one-of-a-kind. I don't think I could find another pooch that has his feistiness, on top of being a loving and faithful companion. After his passing, all I have with me are the good memories. Travel well my beloved pooch, and thank you for being such a loyal companion. Love you always...

Old Dawgs..

A clean bill of health...

We missed our Vet appointment last year and the kids has been holding out well.
So, after a yearly-screening, our dogs: Sir Naughty (aged 9) and Dame Queenie (aged 8) were declared healthy.
The Vet suggested that we put our dogs on a Senior dog's diet.

Our kidz are Senior citizens now..

The rising cost of dog food..

So, there I was, at a pet store in SS2, Petaling Jaya. I asked the store dude about the choice for dog food - especially for Senior dogs.
I was told that there's no need to do so.
All I need to do, is to add supplementary products such as glucosamine for the dog's joints.
And what's available for Senior dogs are pretty costly.
Also, it didn't help at all when Blackwood dog food is going to increase by 11%.
I kept hearing the same excuse every year like freight charges, currency exchange and bla-bla-bla.

Dame Queenie

The kidz at our gate

Sir Naughty, the older dog

 A cheaper alternative

I went to my regular dog food supplier in SS15, Subang Jaya.
They ran out of Blackwood and recommended Pro Pac for Seniors.
This is roughly about RM20 cheaper. And if we collect the proof of purchase barcodes, we are entitled to a free bag of 15kg feed with 10 bags.

Huskies: Loyal and friendly

We are moving into our ninth-year with Sir Naughty, the oldest dog in the pack. Queenie came a year later and was raised from a pup.
Other than a mild hip dysplasia, she's pretty healthy.
Sir Naughty, on the other hand, is the one that protects our home. 
Contrary to Sibes being lousy guard dogs, our boy is different. He's constantly alert and will bark when a stranger walks by.
As far as loyalty is concerned, the kids are always there keeping vigil and waiting for us to get home from work.
So, with whatever time we have with the dogs, we are looking forward to be with them until the end of their lives.