Heavy Weather

[Richard Quartermaine]

The following is an extract of a letter I sent last night to close friends on Vancouver Island explaining why I keep disappearing of the radar:

At Christmas our 11 year Briard darling Cleo became seriously ill with some viral infection and for two weeks we thought we had lost her.  She lay motionless most of the time and we had to syringe water with electrolytes into her mouth and for the worst part of the the only food she had was what was put on her tongue and then very little was swallowed. The vet put her on a saline and electrolyte drip for two days and she began to pick up but it was a month before she started eating normally.

Last Friday I was taking her for a walk on the leash around the Valley Road/Narrow Neck Road block and just outside number 14 Narrow Neck Rd two local dogs came up behind us and attacked Cleo. They were a boxer cross and a staffy cross and they were viciously snarling and attacking Cleo as she lay screaming. I was knocked off my balance in the middle of the road trying to shield Cleo and was bitten. Being 84 on Friday next I did not have the agility to getup. I screamed out "HELP ME, HELP ME" and a man who was building a house on number 16 and a young man came quickly, the elder one with a piece of wood and beat them off and the young one help me to stand up.

Our dear little girl did not show her injuries because of her shaggy coat and was able to walk home with me. We went over her and found the bites, the worst being her ear flap. Fortunately it was not shredded but there were punctures.  We bathed the wounds but next day she lay around, wouldn't eat and showing all the the signs of shock.  By Monday we took her to the vet because her wounded ear was very inflamed and causing her pain and the vet diagnosed a streptococcal infection from the teeth marks for which the vet supplied the appropriate medicine for treating Cleo. This morning I noticed that she was very quiet and feared that she was declining but later in the day she sparked up and now as I write this she is resting on the floor beside me.

And one sent at 3.00am today:

Glen and  Kay
We woke up to a noise and found Cleo had passed away in the lounge room.
We loved her so.
Richard and Margaret

Cleo was our shadow and a great head of security. She was our constant loving companion and friend and after 11 years we are finding it difficult to adjust without her beside us.

Richard

[John Arton]

My sympathy's Richard. Loosing your best 4 legged friend is a bow.
Last year we had to say goodbye to our faithful Max, a lovely cross Weinmunder/Labrador who had been with us for 14 years and we still miss him to this day. Fortunately he did not suffer, loosing the use of his rear legs meant a emergency trip to the vets where a very nice vet explained every thing to us and gave us time to say our goodbyes to him before releasing him from his pain.
rgds
JA

[cappy]

richard please accept my sympathy for your loss .....it somehow seems as if it will never go away but time is a great healer ....ie the dogs who attacked should be advised to the police as no doubt they will attack again........much sympathy cappy

[Richard Quartermaine]

Made a bit of a mess of the AWOL. Thought the first one didn't go through.
Richard

[j.sabourn]

Richard we lost our last 2 dogs about 6 years ago. We have always had dogs and in most cases have preferred to a lot of people. I still think of them and would love another one, but the wife and self came to the conclusion they are too big a miss when they go. Also we would have trouble now exercising them. I know how you feel, you will have only your memories, ideally you should get another dog, doesn't have to be a puppy, a lot of shelters are looking for good homes for dogs. Our two were silkie terriors father and son and hated each other and were always vieing for attention, they died a couple of years apart and were both 16 when they died. We had the last one from being a puppy. Sad for your loss. Regards John S

[Louis the fly]

The humble dog, finest animal ever put on earth, they ask for so little and give so much.

[John Pruden]

Richard loosing a mate like a dog sometimes is worse than loosing your right arm I have always had a dog and would be lost without one my last dog before toby was the very best I had ever had every summer I pick a rose every night of the bush in the garden and put it on his ashes box sounds silly to some but that was the love I had for him our toby is 8st of sleeping machine he never leaves my side if I go out without him everyone asks where is he everybody knows toby nobody knows my name i.m just the fella on the other end of the lead? so sorry mate..jp

[Doc Vernon]

Hello Richard
This is very sad news on the loss of your loved Cleo ,yes we know all about loosing long loved Pets,as we too have always had Dogs at our side,
We have lost quite a few over the Years we have been here and it really does put one down !
I am glad that at least you were not hurt,and that someone managed to come to your aid!
Irene and I can only say we are so sorry to hear that she is now gone!
I hope that you will get something done about those other two Dogs that attacked her and bit you!
Should always be kept safe and on a leash when in Public,too many people just let their Dogs roam free!
Regards my friend and do take care!
Cheers

PS Was that the Black one Richard!?? Or am I getting all mixed up again!

[Charlie Hannah]

very sad end to a top friend and companion Richard,I've always had a dog that is since i came ashore,would never be with out one,Have a faithful and fun loving Kelpie now.Loves riding in the car,top navigator!Always had Staffies before this feller.The last one went missing i searched all the surrounding towns for him ,locally i searched every bit of scrub all local car ports and garages for 4 months, out looking 3or4 hours every day.One day having a drink in the club and a young woman approached me i known her for years told me a certain person in the village knew something about Blocker 2,this guy i saw him every day i searched he also had a staffie,I approached him and after i questioned him he told me he had found my mate in the creek the same day he went missing,I see this guy every day of my search also known him a long time,his answer to my query was. I did not want you to be sad about him,him being Blocker.Unbelievably stupid.If he had of told be i could have
excepted the fact my mate was gone and got on with it.I thought it over and came to the conclusion Blocker must have been bit by a brown snake as the time of year he went missing is the time they come out of hibernation and there is plenty of them around this area.Blocker was very good in the water no way he would have drowned in the creek.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Richard.
Sorry to hear of your loss in such a horrible way, bad enough when a pet dies of old age. We had a cat for 19 years and had to have her put down sad day when you lose what is considered a part of the family.
Cheer Des