Hi Sandy,
Thankyou for sharing that. What a coincidence, if it was indeed a coincidence...
Last year I lost my gorgeous Siberian husky Gypsy. She was 11 years and 11 months old when I lost her. She died on 20.7.11. She died suddenly and unexpectedly here in my arms at 11:55pm. She was my heartdog and best friend for all those years.
Gyps came into my life as a lost stray. She followed my brother home from Parramatta, on the train and all. lol. I remember opening the door for the very first time and seeing her standing there. It was love at first sight.
A few weeks passed and Mum told me to take her to the vet and have her scanned for a microchip but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I walked to the vet with her on the lead, but got to the door and turned around and went back home.
Mum asked "How did you go?" I lied and said she didn't have one. I wasn't in the habit of lying to my Mum but it was just something I
had to do. For both Gyps
and for me.
Gyps & I formed an instant bond and were inseperable. I should note also that Gyps came into my life when I was going through a bad patch. I had just split up with an abusive boyfriend and he'd taken my other dog "Fellony", aswell as all my wordly possessiorns when he broke into my house while I was at work.
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A month or two afterwards my brother accidently left the side gate open and Gyps got out. I searched everywhere for her. I was so lost without her and just wanted her back.
A couple weeks passed and still no sign of her. I thought I would never see her again. I had LOST signs up everywhere but it was as though she had dissapeared.
One day while I was a work Mum rang to tell me someone had found my dog. I didn't believe it and was in denial at first. My boss said I could go home early but I waited the last half hour before jumping in the car and driving home.
As soon as I pulled into the driveway, I burst into tears. It WAS Gyps after all. I ran up to her and gave her the biggest hug.
Turns out the lady who found her, took her to the vet, had her scanned and to her surprise - her
own name showed up on the microchip. Gypsy had been found by her original breeder.
Sharon saw how attached I was to Gyps. Gyps had been sold to a pet shop @ 8 weeks then sold to a customer who hadn't transferred her into their name.
Sharon gave me her paperwork and she was officially mine to keep - forever. She was 8 months old.
For the next 11 years and 3 months she was my best friend. My heart, my soul, my life. I loved her and still love her with every bit of my heart.
I am still grieving her loss...
Just after losing Gyps I
had to get another. It wasn't just a matter of wanting another dog, I needed one. I looked around with fellow rescuers (I rescue dogs myself) and checked with husky rescue to no avail. I got in ctc with a breeder here in Sydney who had a bitch expecting in the NT in August. (this was last year)
So I put my name down for a puppy. There was no garentee though that we'd get a black and white girl with blue eyes. But I waited. The months passed and Rani's due date was the 11.8.11. I KNEW she would have the pups on that day and even told friends and fellow rescuers. "Don't count on it" they'd tell me "Sometimes they can go a day or 2 late or early". I already knew this, being around dogs all my life - but also knew that she'd be born on the 11th.
I even felt the physical pains Rani was going through. I kid you not. As soon as the pains stopped I said to a friend "She's had them". She asks "How do you know?" I told her "Because those pains have stopped". She laughed...
I rang the breeder and sure as houses, I was right. The pups had been born. Just before lunch time. All 6 of them. And all black and white and all girls.
I never got Takoda to replace Gyps but the similarities are uncanny. They have been since day 1 when I bought Takoda home back in October last year. From the way she looks to the way she acts and all the little things in between. I know Gyps lives on in her.... Me and Gyps used to have this little thing where I would blink my eye at her and she'd do it back. Takoda does it too. And I am not the only one to notice. Everyone who knew Gyps and has met Takoda says the same thing and cannot believe it.
Also, many a time when I have taken a photo of Takoda and have been thinking of Gyps at the same time, the photo turns out with a rainbow glare through it or a ray of light or white orb. Prior to losing Gyps, those things never showed up in my photos and it's only when I take them of Takoda.
I have asked for signs. (from Gyps)
One night while I was sitting up alone I was thinking of Gyps as I admired Takoda sleeping at my feet on the floor. I thought to myself "Please Gyps, if you're in there - give me a sign - one I will know".
I got up to go to the bathroom and there on the floor before me, was the shape of a love heart that Takoda had just pee'd onto newspaper. lol.
It didn't hit me at first. I laughed and thought 'how sweet, my girls wee'd me a heart', I even took a pic to show my 5 yr old Son the next day. I had never seen a dog pee a heart shape before (and I've had a few).
I went to bed and as I lay there I thought 'if it is a sign from Gyps, why would she pee me a heart?' then it hit me - like a tonne of bricks - Gypsy died of a heart attack....
A week or so before Gyps died I had a dream. In the dream I lost something very precious to me. The engagement ring my Dad gave to my Mum back in the
70's. Dad died in 1993 and the ring was given to me in about 2004. Since then I have cherished it. It's one of the only things I have left from Dad.
Anyways in this dream I lost the ring. I sent a friend an email voicing my concern that I was going to lose something precious to me and I that I thought it was Gypsy.
She asked me if Gyps had been unwell or whether I was just being paranoid after losing 2 others only months before...
I replied that I wasn't sure and that I was really worried.
So I planned a picnic for the following weekend. I was going to take Gyps out to the river. That weekend didn't come. She died on the Wednesday, only days before our planned picnic....
Our connection was so strong, I sensed her impending departure.
About a week after I lost her I went to the shops and thought to myself as I got out of the car crying, 'How can this be? - Gyps has been in my life forever. How am I going to live without her?'. And it
was as though Gyps had always been there in my life - but now she was gone - and I was lost. Seriously lost.
Later that night I spoke to a friend on the phone and had a good cry. She says to me "You know, Gypsy has always been in your life. In some form or another she has always been with you and she will be back". I told her I was only thinking the same thing today...
Kerri went on to tell me her own story of the time she lost her own heart dog only a few years prior.
She had a black shepherd called Sammy. When Sammy died Kerri was devastated, just like I was.
In the town where she lives, there was also a retriever dog that would always go walkabouts and jump up all over people, almost knocking them over as he did so. He had no manners and no training. Not his fault ofcoarse (his owners).
Anyways after Sammy died, the retriever started visiting Kerri everyday. He would turn up all hours of the night and cry at the door to be let in.
Kerri was lonely and felt sorry for him, so would let him in.
The thing is, Kerri said he was a totally different dog. He listened and even sat and shook hands on command.
Kerri said the guys at the mines would laugh and joke as she passed saying "What have you done with that dog Kerri, he's not the same dog?"
Everyone noticed the change.
One day Kerri's friend visited from out of town. When she arrived Kerri was out the front mucking around with the retriever. As they sat down to talk her friend says to her "You know, when I pulled up I could of sworn that was Sammy running beside you".
Her friend saw a black dog running with Kerri, NOT a golden one like the retriever was....
Kerri believes Sammy's spirit somehow got into the retriever to be with her again because he knew how much she was grieving. Another of her friends told her she had to go somewhere quiet and let him go.
Kerri said she went to a nice park, Sammy's favourite and sat and told him it was ok to leave, that she'd be ok.
From that day onwards the retriever went back to his silly old self and stopped visiting.
Oh and Kerri & Sammy
have found eachother again, but that's a whole other story.
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)