Gabriel, my big white Angel

A year and a half ago, I lost my nine year old Great Pyrenees, Brewster, to cancer. I had had him since he was a wee pup of six weeks and driven him from a breeder in the small town of Corydon Indiana to my then farm in Kentucky. It was a rainy day, and Brewster had been surrounded by a village of Great Pyrenees, his mother, and a series of aunts and Uncles in a large kennel. He was Jolly and loving and our life's paths crescendo ed for nine sweet years. He was a soulful dog who epitomized unconditional love through his incessant cheerful and loving ways.

In the summer of 2008, Brewster was diagnosed with inoperable cancer. In June, he was given a sentence of two months to live. As June, July and August passed Brewster never complained but continued to drop weight and was moving much more gingerly. By early October, it became clear he was in great pain from an inoperable abdominal tumor which had made walking an impossibility. My husband had lifted Brewster's dwindling frame from the macadam the night before and we knew that it was time to say goodbye. The following day, with the help of our veterinarian, I held Brewster's paw as life passed from his fluffy white body. I sobbed as I looked the stationary body. It was his shell now, and nothing more. I left diminished, inconsolable, and left the vet's office having been told that Brewster's ashes would be provided to me in the weeks to follow.

The indelible hole that Brewster' passing created did not diminish but rather grew in the months that followed.
By the end of December it was clear that the only way to reduce my grief and celebrate Brewster's life was to find a Great Pyrenees in need of a home.

On December 30, 2008, I contacted a Great Pyrenees Rescue volunteer, Reena whom I had adopted then five year old Dakota from in the Spring of 2001. (a wonderful photo of Dakota and Oscita can be found on the blog) She told me that there were no Pyrs in need of a home as of yet, but that she would be in touch should one come up.

My husband and I flew to Hawaii the following day for some work and some fun. Not twenty four hours later an email came from Reena stating that she had received word from a woman named Lisa who was needing to find a home for her one year old Great Pyrenees Gabriel. Her husband was in the military and because of the economy had elected to stay in the military and had been assigned another tour. They no longer had the large farm house nor roots stateside to provide Gabriel the home and space he needed. They were heartbroken but committed to finding him a forever home.

Within the next forty two hours we exchanged emails and photos and and January 11th was established as the day she and her husband would drive up from El Paso to deliver Gabriel to us. He licked me on the face immediately. He was warm and friendly and beautiful. Bashful was not a word in his canine vocabulary. With tears and hugs Lisa and her husband left, leaving me and Gabriel, Dakota and my husband Larry to form a new family.

In the months that followed Gabriel and I attended obedience classes, took many long walks, and shared a great deal of quality time together. Gabriel was always by my side, always looking out for me and over me, just as the angel Gabriel was said to have done. I was followed from room to room, from outside to inside and back. His large soulful eyes looked deep and still into mine. I felt as if I had know this beautiful creature for years already.

In the course of the last year and two months Gabriel and I have developed a special bond. I feel fortunate to have been given a very special gift in Gabriel. His very presence affected all in his midst. A month ago, an area Shelter Volunteer Coordinator had met Gabriel on a daily walk and suggested that he would be perfect for community service. She explained that once he had passed the AKC Good Citizen Test, he would be eligible to participate in a community outreach program.

Gabriel and I were game. We made plans to immediately take the test, feeling confident that our training exercises would have him sail through the test and Voila, Gabriel passed the test in one fell swoop.

Yesterday was our first visit to an area nursing home. We walked into the nursing home behind a parade of two large Swiss Mountain Dogs avoiding elders in walkers and those not accustomed to dogs weighing over 150 pounds!

We waited for the elders to arrive and visit in an internal room devoid of windows. Gabriel noticed a man sitting on a sofa just off the room we were waiting it. He indicated a visit would be welcome. Gabriel walked loose leashed around a bank of sofas and came around to the elderly gentleman. His smile, genuine and broad looked down upon the joyful face of Gabriel, open mouthed and eager to please. The man spoke to Gabriel as if to a long lost friend he was eager to reconnect with. He thrust his elderly head clad in eyeglasses into a tuft of white fur in Gabriel's side and he held him. I felt my throat tighten and breathed in order to avoid a personal indiscretion. No tears for first visits!

The gentleman thanked us both for the visit. I knew why I had come. More importantly, I knew why Gabriel had come to visit and I was glad.