If you have been keeping up with our blog...then you are aware that our Great Pyrenees Ardie was diagnosed with bone cancer and we have been enjoying our last days together...well Monday was our last day together......if you know me well at all...their is a good chance that you knew just what a remarkably special dog Ardie was....I personally have never had a pet that touched so many lives in such a special way.....he was truly one of a kind...If Ardie was a person....he would be someone that we would all admire and look up to.......a group of words that would describe him are kind, gentle, brave, strong, beautiful, patient, and noble... his veterinarian's all called him stoic thru his very painful battle with bone cancer....
As we said our final goodbyes on Monday...their was no doubt in my mind that Ardie knew this was his final farewell....he tried his very best to stay strong for us...but thru his panting I knew that he was scared...I held him tight trying to comfort him......and he tried his best to comfort me.....that was my Ardie....always my rock.....
So as you can imagine.......life won't be the same without my beloved Ardie.....these are shoes that simply cannot be filled........I would like to honor Ardie with sharing a couple of memorable moments that he not only shared with me but shared with others.........
It all began when I gave Ardie a home when he was barely 9 months old and weighed a mere 85 pounds...he was shy and unsure of himself as a pup....but quickly grew into a 135-140 big beautiful boy....people have always gravitated towards Ardie.......he simply stopped traffic....when Ardie was approximately 2 years old.....I almost gave this awesome dog away....here is the story...
. As you all know my dogs go every where I go....it was a warm summer night and we headed down to the local county fair...I remember it was a weekend night and the fair was packed...we strolled thru the carnival...I had taken a young man to go ride rides...so he found a ride that he wanted to ride and me and Ardie watched and waited for the ride to finish...well we happened to be standing next to a family with a special needs child....the next thing I knew this little boy sat down on the ground and Ardie joined him...he laid right next to this little boy as close as he could get.....these two..Ardie and the little boy were in there own world....to them time time had stopped...they paid no attention to the hundreds of people drudging thru the carnival...Ardie began to lick this little boy...which wouldn't be shocking to most..but in the 9 years I have been with Ardie he has NEVER licked anyone and here he is licking this little boy...doing his job taking care of this young child...somehow Ardie sensed that this little boy was special........and he filled a need........his parents and I watched in amazement this special bond these two shared.......his parents shared with me that this was very rare to see their son so content and engaged...we all teared up......and enjoyed this special moment...I came so close to handing over the leash to that little boy on that summer night......
I am glad that I didn't because at only 2 years of age...Ardie still had alot more impact left to make in his life....here are some more special moments......
Ardie has turned out to be quite a ambassador for the Great Pyrenees Breed....he directly has been responsible for many adoptions of other Great Pyrenees... because he left such a wonderful impact on these peoples lives they all sought out a Ardie dog...Stephanie my dear friend in South Dakota adopted Daisy a great Pyrenees from a animal shelter...I took Gus a Colorado Great Pyrenees back to South Dakota to good friends that would not consider any other breed or dog unless he was like Ardie,....one of my contractors from Rapid City adopted a great Pyrenees for his young family...Collins mom made a home for Barkley who is part great Pyrenees..... and most recently a teacher from St Marys school........fell in love with Ardie after he visited the school....and adopted a great Pyrenees from the Greeley animal shelter.......and I am sure the list goes on...he has had so many people ask to take his picture...or have sat and cuddled with him as I took him to work.......he truly was a special boy
As I am blogging about what a stoic and remarkable dog Ardie was.... Collin has reminded me of his remarkable ability to eat anything and everything that was at counter heights....I remember the first time I came home to a empty Halloween bowl....Ardie ate a minimum of 3 large bags of
candy bars...wrappers and all........panic rushed over me...I knew that he was going to die...well I am glad to say that chocolate never killed him...and whether is what a plate of chocolate brownies or most recently a giant bag of m&ms he often enjoyed these treats with a passion.......in the last 6 months or so Ardies age was beginning to show and it seemed that he had finally stopped raiding the counter tops...so about a month ago.....when I came home and found a entire rotisserie chicken eaten and a giant bag of m&ms inhaled........their was no part of me that was upset.......in fact it brought a huge smile across my face......that was my Ardie.......I was just glad that he felt good enough to go back to raiding the counter tops again..
For the last 9 years of my life...I have always came home to the comfort of my Ardie dog waiting for me.....it was so hard coming home Monday night and not having my Ardie dog home waiting for me.......for the last 9 years he has slept at the end of my bed....even when Ardie was feeling his worst he would still hop into the bedroom on his 3 legs to be with us at night........the house seems almost to quiet to bare.........I know my beloved Ardie is in a better place.........its just so hard without him......I miss him greatly
Ardie thank you so much for all you have given me over the years.......if letting you raid the counter tops everyday would take the pain away and bring you back to me....I would happily do it in a second........I have found peace in knowing that you are not in pain anymore......and I feel you close to us..........you truly were a angel on earth.......thanks for all the wonderful memories....you made my life better for being in it.......
Thanks for reading and joining me in honoring our Beloved Ardie
2 comments:
That post made me cry. I hadn't heard the story about the special needs boy, but it doesn't surprise me at all that Ardie made a connection. He was a very special dog.
My tears are flowing also. This is a wonderful tribute to Ardie. I remember how patient he was with puppy Barkley. He was truly a remarkable dog. We will all miss him.
Penny
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