Waltzing Matilda - Goodbye to a Family Member

We had to put our Australian Cattle Dog, Kiwi, to sleep yesterday afternoon after a long cancer battle. The vet was nice enough to do it in our backyard on our soft, fleece blanket while we held and comforted her.

She was an amazingly intelligent dog who travelled across the country with us many times and was a root part of our family. She started her life in California, but spent her last years in rural Pennsylvania, where she got to scratch her back in the sun, eat voles, trounce through the snow and frolic in the brisk autumn wind. She was loyal and obedient, but with attitude, and could always be counted on.

She was loved. She will be missed. She can never be replaced.

Kiwi

January, 1997 - October 22, 2008

Kiwi on the farm

Scratching her back in the sun with Newt


Kiwi and her sisters, yesterday

They broke the mold with Kiwi

Here's a Kiwi cartoon I made a few years ago that seems appropriate