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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-AU link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:#1F497D'>Dear All,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:#1F497D'>If anyone wants to sling some drool long distance we could use some- I don’t post often but have read the drool for over 7 years and have picked up so much valuable information over the years.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:#1F497D'>Some may remember when I first got Douglas some 6 and a half years ago and he was diagnosed with a serious heart valve problem, a 5 out of 6 for severity, the vets gave him at most two years to live. Proving what a typical basset he is he was to stubborn to listen and is now six and half but the end arrived this evening. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:#1F497D'>My wife and children came home and let Douglas outside, he went outside and went to his usual position under the swing and quietly and without ceremony left for the rainbow bridge. Stupid to ascribe mere human values to a basset, they are much better than us, but I think he wanted to say goodbye to the kids before he left- they came in and hugged him and patted him as usual before he went outside. I had spoken to him when I was home for lunch and knew the time was close, I was about to make a time with his vet but told Douglas that it was okay to leave as and that my mother who also left this year would be waiting for him as she adored him.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:#1F497D'>Douglas was our first basset after falling in love with bassets in Ireland- he came into our life in 2006 and everything changed. New friends- many of them whom only knew Douglas by name, not we at the other end of the leash and the joys of bassetude. The swagger on an undesexed basset (we didn’t neuter him as the vets didn’t think he would survive a GA) caused much amusement, comments about things dragging on the ground were either about his ears or more likely the “wedding tackle”. He was a minor celebrity in the suburb- everyone knew him and he enjoyed the attention- I don’t doubt he will be muchly missed. The vets knew him well- always an irritable stomach, episodes of bowel obstruction and emergency surgery barely slowed him for a day or so much to everyone’s amazement. He was so typical of the breed- tolerated the people puppies doing anything to him- eventually moving off when it got too much. The only things that suffered at his hands were my wife’s lambskin slippers of which he destroyed a few pairs and the evil cumquat tree in our front garden<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:#1F497D'><br>Having read the stories about bassets, it became clear he was a typical basset- stubborn, wilful but so full of love and joy to his family. I miss him, mess, slobber, smell and all. I have been close to tears all day knowing that I would need to send my friend off, Douglas being Douglas decided that he would simply make my life easier and go on his own terms and quietly slipped away. Hard for me but the children are of course devastated by his departure.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:#1F497D'>Go in peace big dog, I love you and will miss you. I look forward to seeing you across the rainbow Bridge as Grandma the rescuer has already taken him across<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-AU'>Anthony, Juliette, Maddie and Charlie and now Douglas ATB <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-AU'>50 Polding Street<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-AU'>Drummoyne NSW<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-AU'>2047<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-AU'>Australia<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>