The Saga of My Dogs at the ‘Rainbow Bridge’

Long time, no see, my amazing Animal loving friends.

This is the second part of this three-legged journey entitled “The Saga of My Dogs at the Rainbow Bridge”. Last month I told you about Diva; the amazing pancake-stashing, strong-minded canine who was so stubborn that even when her body failed her, her mind was still as tough as ever. This segment is called “My Best Friend, My Companion: Forte”

Forte was not always a love of my life, though. ‘Benhil’s Stillwater Forte’ came to my family when I was twelve years old. (“Forte” means strong). He was a tiny puppy when my mom brought him over from Pennsylvania.

From the very beginning I knew he wasn’t my dog. He adored my mom and rightfully so, considering she trained, spent endless hours with and, most importantly, fed him. I was using Diva for 4-H, so I didn’t spend a whole lot of time with him. I was involved with soccer, 4-H, piano lessons, and girl scouts, and hardly had time to try and earn the affections of this foreign entity of the family.

Then, Diva, very blatantly decided that she was retiring herself from showing. This involved a humiliating obedience exercise in which I did the entire heeling pattern by myself. Instead of staying at my left side, she just sat in the same place watching me. I was devastated, and was forced to use Forte, the dog who hated me and adored my mother. He only worked with me if I had food right in front of his face (which you can’t have in the ring), so when the highly anticipated annual 4-H King County Fair rolled around, I was not looking forward to it.

My mom decided it might be better if we tried to bond, so Forte and I stayed in the same tent overnight by ourselves. The first few hours were rough; it was like my mom was the air he breathed, the water he drank – all he could do was whine, but I kept reassuring him that everything would be okay and that I was there for him.

Throughout the week-long fair, Forte and I began a deep bond. No longer blinded by my jealousy, I realized how sweet he was. He was a ‘licker’ and his deep eyes softened when he gazed at you. His black, curly, velvet coat was gorgeous, although it took almost four hours to get him combed out, washed, and dried!
We worked together every week at 4-H and became fairly successful earning two Grand Champion wins in Showmanship and one in Obedience. We also continued to State seven times. It was like a dream come true! I had a dog who I loved and who loved me. I trained him to wag his tail on command, and jump straight up in the air if I moved my hands just right. He was a doll, a sweetheart, everything I could ask for.

When Forte was six, he started to have some anemia problems. His spleen was enlarged and I feared the worst. What would happen to my new best friend? We had only just started to build this bond – would it soon be over? My mother and I worried for endless hours about him; vet visit after vet visit, test after test and they still had no idea what was wrong. He was lethargic, and so unlike his happy, carefree self. While he slept all day, we prepared for the worst.

And then one day, he was better.

It was like a miracle, like God had been looking down on us and realized that Forte was supposed to do more before he went to visit Him. It seemed like everything was back to normal. I dried my eyes and stepped back into the show ring.

With Forte by my side, we were an unstoppable duo. We earned obedience titles and showmanship classes. He was even a ‘cow’ to my farmer when we dressed up for costume competition one year, complete with him performing for long blades of grass. He was my best friend. Though the time came when I was too old to compete in 4-H, we still spent infinite hours together. He was always there as a warm, velvety shoulder to cry on or a gentle lick to my cheek.

When he was eleven years old, just as suddenly as his spleen mystery, Forte collapsed in our backyard. We had no idea what had happened, but he didn’t want to move. It was almost as if he was unexpectedly narcoleptic. When we finally got him inside, he drank enough water to fill a small pool and was extremely lethargic. We took him to the emergency vet to try and determine what had happened to him. They took an x-ray of his entire chest cavity and they determined that the fluid-filled sack around his heart was enlarged.
The diagnosis: Hemangiosarcoma, or what I came to understand as canine cancer of the blood vessels. His cancer happened to be near his heart, so the cancer cells were in every single one of his major organs. He was terminal.

The vet gave him a month to a year, all depending upon when he had another bleed-out, which was the cause of the first collapse.

After a week of playing, eating, sleeping and loving, he collapsed again. I couldn’t believe it; he was supposed to be alive for at least three more weeks! With a sighing whine Forte passed away in my arms, with my tears matting his soft coat.

He had a great life and he completely changed mine. I’m waiting for the day when we meet again at the Rainbow Bridge.

“Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.

There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together.

There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.

The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together…. “
- Author Unknown

The "Dogwood" Tree

Next month I’ll conclude the “Rainbow Bridge” saga where you’ll learn about “Chiqui: Quirky, Spunky, and Lovely”.

Have a VERY Merry Christmas! And remember, Every Good Day has its Dog!