It is with unbearable grief I write. Tears are streaming down my face as I type. As we mentioned in our Christmas Letter, Avalanche has been having some health problems and his health took a big turn for the worse and we had to have him put to sleep today (12/30/08). Our hearts are aching, but we know it was the right choice to make for him.
Our home seems so empty without him. He was such a big part of our lives & home for the past 9&1/2 years, in addition to being a big dog, with a wonderfully, big & silly personality!
I recall the day we 1st picked him up from the Detroit Airport, it was June 20, 1999. We had him flown to us from Colorado, and when we 1st laid eyes on our little, puppy Kuvasz, we were so excited!! He was just 3 months old and weighed 34 pounds already!
He was all the way pushed back in his travel carrier. We opened the door and the 1st thing we saw were those HUGE, fuzzy white paws. I remember thinking, "Wow, he is going to grow into those!" We got him out of the carrier and gave him lots of pets & hugs, which he seemed indifferent about. He was much more curious about everything going on around us. So then we decided to walk him around a little and he thought that was great fun, until he looked back (it was so funny-we could actually see that he realized he was on a leash) and saw that he was attached to us. Well that wasn't okay, he started bucking and jumping like a rodeo bull, we were shocked! Now we laugh & laugh about our crazy boy, but then, it was just pure shock at his behavior. We couldn't believe this puppy who flew across the country all by himself would be so upset to be on a leash connected to the only people he'd seen in hours that he'd throw a giant fit!
We knew right then and there our new puppy Kuvasz was determined, stubborn and strong-willed, but it was too late...we were in love with our little, white, puff-ball, bucking fits and all!
Thinking about it "stubborn", "determined" and "strong-willed", no wonder Avy fit in so well with Andrew & me, for better or worse we both have strong doses of each of those traits.
I could go on & on about the fun and joy Avalanche has brought to our family & into our home.
Like the time he had a grass stain on his nose and forehead! Now seriously how does that happen? Only Avy knows, but is sure made us smile!
And then there was the time we went to the park in Clare, MI where Andrew & Avy took a walk along the stream. Avy always loved discovering new things, it very exciting for him. During this walk Avy found a turtle and he carefully picked it up in his mouth & ran all the way back to me to put it at my feet and proudly show me his new treasure! Andrew said he could barely keep up as Avy was running back to me so fast! Avy was so proud to show me that turtle (and I just hate turtles-so gross, but I praised him good!) and he was so happy! We were delighted at how silly & fun he was and how proud he was to show me what he had found. Isn't that just so cute!?!? We sure think so.
Oh, I just have 1 more story that is a "must" tell. When Avy was a puppy he loved it when we chased him. He would get running so fast we called it "the zooms" and he particularly loved zooming around a chair we had in the corner of the living room. One day shortly after "the zooms" started we were cleaning & discovered Avy's paw prints on the baseboard and the wall just above it, behind the chair that he loved to zoom around!!!! We thought he ran really fast, but to realize he was zooming so fast that he actually ran on the edge of the wall and baseboard (not the floor) when he zoomed around that corner, oh my goodness, Andrew & I laughed & laughed, in fact it still makes us laugh! Now you see why we think Avy is more like a super canine hero, than a mere mortal! LOL!
Like I said, I could go on forever about the countless funny stories and all the joy & love Avalanche brought into our lives and home.
I am sure you can tell what an intelligent, silly, crazy and hilarious dog Avalanche was & how he captured our hearts in the enormous way that he did. He was just such a sweet, lovey, silly boy. He loved us and every one that came to visit him/us. We know that we have been greatly blessed to have him in our family for all the years that we did.
He is greatly missed already and always will be, but his legend will live on in our hearts and memories forever.
Please pray for us, our hearts are broken. Thank you. -Shannon
