Losing a Best Friend, Partner my Australian Shepherd
On 27 July, I lost one of my very faithful and loving friends, Partner. I am a very devoted animal lover of 5 dogs, 2 horses, 1 donkey, 4 cats and 15 ducks. My husband, Steve, and I live on a 10-acre ranch and my priority has and always been my animals as I feel that they all need and deserve the best of care. My dogs live in a very large pen which cost us $3,000 and is divided for 2 dogs on one side and 3 on the other with boardwalks over the creek and dog houses which my husband designed like little barns where each of them have a door to stick their heads out plus doors to close up in winter and roofs with hinges for ease when putting in new bedding. Since we’ve had no rain in a long time, our creek went dry and for about a week, Partner had been digging out under the big wooden gate we have over the creek which we kept reinforcing every few days with cinder blocks and other braces. Also one of my younger males (Rascal) did the same thing from his side of the pen getting into Partner’s pen and once got into fight with Rascal beating Partner badly. Keep in mind that Rascal never fought with Partner when I let them all out together to do farm chores with me and go swimming in the pond daily which in right in front of our house. It had been at least a year since they even had a fight. Both pens are so large and have plenty of shade that I have to cut the grass in them and all 5 dogs are so used to being out everyday from the time I get home until we go to bed at night and most of the time, they all are so spoiled that I leave them in the house (kitchen area closed off) overnight. They behave so well together and my husband puts them in their pens the next morning before we leave for work. Partner and Rascal even slept side by side in the house. I guess that he wanted to control Partner once I was not around and he got into his pen. During these very hot days that we were struggling to keep the pens secure, we were also taking care of a friends ranch for 9 days while she was on vacation. She had dogs, goats, pigs & cats and we were keeping her horse at my house. Her horse (the night before Partner died) badly injured one of our horses and had to get the vet out and give IV’s and shots until 11:30pm. During this ordeal, all my dogs stayed in the AC in the house where we normally feed them at night until we went to work the next morning putting them back in their normal pens failing to recheck them and once again reinforce Rascal’s side. Rascal dug through the gate again into Partner’s pen and when I came home, I discovered Partner dead and lying in the dry creek. I examined him and he had a tiny bit of blood on his tongue and a tiny tooth puncture on his cheek. If Rascal attacked him, he may have had a heart attack or stroke during the struggle, was hurt and could not get to his water bucket in which case laid there, dehydrating and died from the heat. I am very resentful to Rascal who is not a vicious attack dog and very loveable and entertaining. He was always more jealous of Partner than any other dog I had and knowing this I always made sure that after their first fight, I could never put them in a pen together. Had my husband and I not been so tired and overwhelmed with taking proper care of the horse following all instructions left by the vet to be done morning and night, I believe that Partner would still be here. We saved our horse but failed my best friend of 12 years. I thank all of you for listening to my story and pray that all the animals in the world get loved and taken care of properly….they need us....Ellen
On 27 July, I lost one of my very faithful and loving friends, Partner. I am a very devoted animal lover of 5 dogs, 2 horses, 1 donkey, 4 cats and 15 ducks. My husband, Steve, and I live on a 10-acre ranch and my priority has and always been my animals as I feel that they all need and deserve the best of care. My dogs live in a very large pen which cost us $3,000 and is divided for 2 dogs on one side and 3 on the other with boardwalks over the creek and dog houses which my husband designed like little barns where each of them have a door to stick their heads out plus doors to close up in winter and roofs with hinges for ease when putting in new bedding. Since we’ve had no rain in a long time, our creek went dry and for about a week, Partner had been digging out under the big wooden gate we have over the creek which we kept reinforcing every few days with cinder blocks and other braces. Also one of my younger males (Rascal) did the same thing from his side of the pen getting into Partner’s pen and once got into fight with Rascal beating Partner badly. Keep in mind that Rascal never fought with Partner when I let them all out together to do farm chores with me and go swimming in the pond daily which in right in front of our house. It had been at least a year since they even had a fight. Both pens are so large and have plenty of shade that I have to cut the grass in them and all 5 dogs are so used to being out everyday from the time I get home until we go to bed at night and most of the time, they all are so spoiled that I leave them in the house (kitchen area closed off) overnight. They behave so well together and my husband puts them in their pens the next morning before we leave for work. Partner and Rascal even slept side by side in the house. I guess that he wanted to control Partner once I was not around and he got into his pen. During these very hot days that we were struggling to keep the pens secure, we were also taking care of a friends ranch for 9 days while she was on vacation. She had dogs, goats, pigs & cats and we were keeping her horse at my house. Her horse (the night before Partner died) badly injured one of our horses and had to get the vet out and give IV’s and shots until 11:30pm. During this ordeal, all my dogs stayed in the AC in the house where we normally feed them at night until we went to work the next morning putting them back in their normal pens failing to recheck them and once again reinforce Rascal’s side. Rascal dug through the gate again into Partner’s pen and when I came home, I discovered Partner dead and lying in the dry creek. I examined him and he had a tiny bit of blood on his tongue and a tiny tooth puncture on his cheek. If Rascal attacked him, he may have had a heart attack or stroke during the struggle, was hurt and could not get to his water bucket in which case laid there, dehydrating and died from the heat. I am very resentful to Rascal who is not a vicious attack dog and very loveable and entertaining. He was always more jealous of Partner than any other dog I had and knowing this I always made sure that after their first fight, I could never put them in a pen together. Had my husband and I not been so tired and overwhelmed with taking proper care of the horse following all instructions left by the vet to be done morning and night, I believe that Partner would still be here. We saved our horse but failed my best friend of 12 years. I thank all of you for listening to my story and pray that all the animals in the world get loved and taken care of properly….they need us....Ellen
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