“What we have once enjoyed we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us.” – Helen Keller
Pet Trust often receives heartfelt thank you letters from pet owners whose veterinarian has made a donation in their pet’s memory. Our new "In Memory" blog post has been created to celebrate the lives of the pets we love. OVC Pet Trust’s ‘Pet Memorial Program’ invites veterinary hospitals and individuals to make a donation in memory of a pet. Memorial donations help fund research and discovery at the University of Guelph's Ontario Veterinary College aimed at helping our pets live longer, healthier lives.
Nanook Day
June 29, 2002 – May 4, 2016
Dear Dr. Gordon Kirby,
My family would like to thank you for your letter which acknowledges the gift from our veterinarian, Dr. Doug LeGallais, at LeGallais Veterinary Hospital in Aurora, Ontario over the passing of our Siberian Husky, Nanook.
Born in Sunderland, Ontario on June 29, 2002, Nanook has been in our children's lives for their entire lives. The simplistic and symbiotic love our family had with Nanook was magical. Although we are not the first to say this, there is a special bond that one has with their dog. They never judge; they never hold grudges; they only want affection and most definitely, attention. Nanook only wanted love. We gave him that, and he reciprocated tenfold.
Nanook is sadly missed by our cat Shadow, now 15 years old, who was his best friend and companion. The two of them were inseparable. Shadow would often groom Nanook and we would usually find the two of them sleeping beside each other.
Our first born child Kiara was born in 2003. We had heard that Siberians were territorial by nature and therefore, did not know what to expect upon Nanook meeting her for the first time. Like many pet owners who add a child to their family, we were concerned about how Nanook might react to our new baby. We had decided that Kiara should sleep in a bassinette in our bedroom for the first month or so of her life. A few weeks after bringing Kiara home, we inadvertently let our guard down one night. We awoke in the middle of the night to find Nanook standing by her bassinette with his head resting on the side. He was rocking the bassinette with his nose, back and forth, ever so gently. We knew he was, then, and continued to be until the end of his days, a gentle protector of the family.
He was the most obedient dog – so gentle with all, but he loved kids the most. He also was the most beautiful dog, our furry, bi-eyed monster. All who had the pleasure of meeting Nanook, enjoyed his gentle touch and the company he gave. He even made those who were scared of dogs, love him.
We were truly blessed to have enjoyed Nanook for almost 14 years. He will be so deeply missed. There is not a day that goes by that we don’t think of him or wish he was still with us.
Sincerely,
Geoff, Annalisa, Kiara, Ryley, Matthew and Shadow Day
Newmarket, Ontario
Editor’s Note: If you would like to share your “In Memory” story with us, please contact Pet Trust Writer Ashleigh Martyn via email: amarty01@uoguelph.ca.