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<DIV>
<DIV>Yes, its a tear jerker - delete now if you have had enough.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>There have been so many bridge passings throughout the basset world of
late, I hesitated to post this one for a few days. But a story needs to be
told here, and that falls on me, the slave scribe of Daphneyland.....</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>A year ago, plus.</DIV>
<DIV>A call came in from Hanford California - a vet tech who was in tears.</DIV>
<DIV>Evidently someone had thrown an old basset over a wrought iron spiked fence
into a historical cemetray and the groundskeeper was on vacation for 2
weeks. The few people who noticed him tried to get him out, but as this is
a historical landmark, no police or locksmith would touch the lock. And
the weeks passed before he could be brought into the animal shelter.
Locked gates.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Emaciated, infection had set in where the spikes had impaled him, tumors
abounded and his ears were long standing goops of infection - Animal control
took him to the local vet for euthanasia, but the vet felt it would not his
time, and thus the crying vet tech. She had called other rescue groups and
no one would take him due to his age and injuries. And so it was that Sly
came to Daphneyland. When you take in a senior that has so obviously never
been cherished it breaks your heart. Sly recovered so well and had such a
great summer - fall was mild and he was enjoying the turn of the seasons.
Obviously having spent his life outside in the snow - when winter came he did
not want to come in, and would trudge outside in the mornings, like we were
forcing him to stay outside - this winter have been very rough for
those of us here, and it was readily apparent that Sly no longer had anything to
interest his sniffer - he tolerated the bath, and allowed me to cuddle him - but
his cancer was taking over and the choice was clear.</DIV>
<DIV>Sly arrived at the rainbow bridge in style. Wearing shiny fur and
many tears he was the last glisten to arrive at that major feast - just as he
slyly closed the gates and locked them. He is an expert at locked gates.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Sly is in, let the party begin.</DIV>
<DIV>May no more houndies leave us for some time. It is so very hard to
say goodbye - </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Dawn of the West</DIV>
<DIV>Daphneyland</DIV>
<DIV><A
href="http://www.barniatdaphneyland.org">www.barniatdaphneyland.org</A></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></DIV></FONT><br/><font style="color:black;font:normal 10pt arial,san-serif;"> <hr style="margin-top:10px"/>Get a jump start on your taxes. <a href="http://yellowpages.aol.com/search?query=Tax+Return+Preparation+%26+Filing&ncid=emlcntusyelp00000004">Find a tax professional in your neighborhood today</a>.</font></DIV></BODY></HTML>