Spyvie Memorial

Dear GALT,

Yesterday we had to lay our big bear Spyvie to rest. The heartache we feel over this is immense. He spent the first years of his life in unknown (but presumably terrible) conditions. We had hoped to give him a loving and stable home for the rest of his days. Sadly, those days were too few for Spyvie. He spent two years suffering, and only a few months being loved. It just isn't fair.

In the past two weeks he spent with us he learned to trust us. He would leave his crate and come lay on the bed in the living room with us. The first time he did this we were elated! It was an adjustment for the others since they were not used to sharing the dog bed...but soon everyone had figured out how to share the bed. It was a hound pile!

His favorite time day was feeding time. Breakfast more than dinner, but food was food and he loved it! And treats...he loved treats. He learned the sound of the treat jar opening pretty quick and would poke his head around the corner into the kitchen to get his biscuit.

His coat was almost done shedding the undercoat he had developed from being outside for the first part of his life. He was such a handsome fellow. Sleek and glossy and striped. We had bought a rubber brush to use on him. He loved lying on his bed in the bedroom and getting a once over before bedtime each night. He would close his eyes and just lay.

Spyvie also learned how to go outside without being led by his collar! He was never outside without one if not both of us present, and I like to think he found comfort in that. He would follow behind the other three on their way out the door and then stop every time to look back and make sure we were right behind him. He learned to smell the grass, and would follow us around while we did 'tootsie roll patrol'... (scooping poop). Spyvie was always happy when it was time to go back inside, but was not as nervous being outside as when he first came to live with us.

He jumped on the bed a few times. Generally in the morning when it was time to eat and he was ready for us to get up. It was a huge shock the first time that happened! We did not know he even knew how to get onto furniture, but once he figured it out he knew it would get us up. Little devil.

We nicknamed him our Kodiak bear because of his lower lip. It stuck out just like a bear's. He even had a theme song... His name is Spyvie... He is a Kodiak bear... He likes to hibernate... In his dog crate. We would sing this to him all the time, especially when he would crawl into his crate to take a nap.

Spyvie added so much to our family. We learned to appreciate every small step he took and enjoyed watching him learn to love, trust and play. Our only regret is he wasn't able to stay with us longer. My parents would always ask about him, "What did he learn today? What did he do today? How's our newest grand-dog? We saw that you guys got rain... is he okay?"

His ashes will be home today and be placed on shelf above where he slept in the bedroom. It is where he loved to be in the house the most. It just seems right.

Thank you to GALT for the work that you do for God's creatures. I appreciate your prayers and help during this past weekend. Spyvie was a character, and there is a hole in our family and in our hearts. I pray that he is happy where he is now... running because he wants to and not because he has to. That his body is healed and his mind no longer remembers his previous abuse. That he is free of all negativity and is simply happy.

Thank you again and God bless.

Yvonne, Trey, Daisy, Pocket and Jakob Thompson