Saying Goodbye

Yesterday we had to say goodbye to Christie. She was 16 and over the weekend had started to go down hill. It' a tough decision but, as our vet said, probably one of the kindest acts we can do for our pets.

Christie was a Valgray rescue dog. She enjoyed agility although I think it was more the chase and the opportunity to express her herding instincts. If she were a human her CV would include the following:

"A friendly brown Border Collie who loves humans, mainly for cuddles and being to be close to other dogs."

Key skills include: herding other dogs; being at the centre of attention; drinking a complete bowl of water in record time; sleeping.

Strengths - Chasing judges out of agility rings (yes she did it twice), balancing in an open Canadian Kayak looking into the water while being paddled down the river Wye (although she did fall in once), biting humans feet on command (the command was 'Slim Shady' said in a Sean Connery style).

Notable Achievements - Competed in the KC Junior finals at Cruft two years running, numerous pairs finals, helped to teach 4 young border collie dogs how to behave at home, handled by many inexperienced handlers learning agility.

We'll miss our girl.