MANDI

Adopted May 7th, 2011 - January 2021

Mandi was my most wonderful girl who inspired my love for the breed. Rescued around two years of age, her zest for life was absolutely infectious. 

Mandi worked as a service dog for many years, and taught me how to live again after tragedy. I owe so much to her tireless love and devotion. Though she never hunted, Mandi enjoyed training in agility and obedience and running the trails while bikejoring. Her love for water is what initially encouraged me to give dock diving a try, but alas she was not a jumper. She just wanted to swim! She did take great joy in harassing her brother, Tavi, while he jumped though. 

Mandi came to me looking like a typical Shorthair, but developed a thick spay coat as she aged. This earned her the nickname Fuzzy Muppet, which she embodied well. Living with Mandi was like living with a tornado; she wizzed around the house bowling over everything in her path. She was my very best friend, and a force to be reckoned with until the day she passed. Her presence is simply irreplaceable. I miss her beyond comprehension. 

So this is where we part, My Friend,
And you'll run on, around the bend,
Gone from sight, but not from mind,
new pleasures there you'll surely find.

I will go on; I'll find the strength,
Life measures quality, not its length.
One long embrace before you leave,
Share one last look, before I grieve.

There are others, that much is true,
But they be they, and they aren't you.
And I, fair, impartial, or so I thought,
Will remember well all you've taught.

Your place I'll hold, you will be missed,
The fur I stroked, the nose I kissed.
And as you journey to your final rest,
Take with you this... I loved you best.

In Mandi’s honor, we make an annual contribution to the AKC Canine Health Foundation’s Hemangioscarcoma research fund. It is our ardent hope that one day better screening and treatment options for this terrible disease become available.