# Hunter, My Heart Dog



## 3 goldens (Sep 30, 2005)

At night Hunter slept up on my pillow and KayCee slept more at the foot of the bed. Hunter always wanted to be on the the side of me where he could see my face and if I turned over, he would cross over to get on that side of me. There were times I woke with the felling of being watched and by the light of my large clock could see Hunter sitting on the floor watching me--no room on the bed for him on that side. I would move over and he would get up there.

I told how he woke me every morning--slobber all in my ear and the hair on the back of my neck. Well, one morning he woke me up and I half opened my eyes and saw it was dark and thought 'Gee, Hunter must really need to go to get up before daylight", then I got fully away and realized that Hunter had been gone for 8 months. And it was his litter mate sister doing the licking, filling my ear with slobber, the back of my neck and hair full of slobber. And suddenly I knew without a doubt that it was Hunter using his sister's body to let me know he was fine, he loved me as much as ever, he knew I loved him as much as ever and that he didn't blame me for his death, it was not my fault.

See, I had blamed myself so much that I had actually lost 40 pounds during that 6 months since his death. I had put the weight on when I quit smoking a few months before we got him and KayCee. As described above, she gave slow, deliberate almost dry lickdks, his were wide, hap-hazard, sopping wet. That is how I knew it was not really KayCee licking my neck and ear that night.

When I told my family at first they thought I was nuts, but soon decided something had happened. I was no longer so down in the dumps all the time and could talk of Hunter with smiles and laughs rather than tears. I SO MUCH wanted another visit from him, but it never happened. Just that one time that took away my guilty feelings. I have lost many, many dogs in my 71 years, the first in '56, but this is the one and only time I have ever been visited by one I had never blamed myself for the death of any other as I did with Unter and that may be while this happened. Even today I would welcome another visit from Hunter, my heart dog. or any of my dogs at the Rainbow Bridge.


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## Aislinn (Nov 13, 2010)

Some touch our hearts in ways we can't explain, true heart dogs. And I believe he was there for you. I had a cat that was more like a dog. She was always beside me, touching if I was sitting down, slept in my arms like a baby. She was obedience trained in Spanish and English. Yes, a Siamese mix who would do a sit or down stay from 20 feet away. She would let me know it was bedtime by getting up and sitting six feet in front of me, her back to me, facing the bedroom. Oh the stories I could tell about Sierra. 






I came home from a dog show to a note on the front door from my husband telling me to call him before I went into the house. The phone was by the front door. I called and he was in a meeting. I ignored what he said and went immediately to my bedroom to check on Sierra. She greeted me with a meow and then turned her back on me and went around the bed and under as she always did to me when I didn't take her with me. Once I knew she was all right I went back and called again. He told me she had died. I said, no, I'd just seen her. We argued. I told him did he think I would be on the phone with him if I hadn't seen her? I'd have been frantically searching our bedroom. He told me he had buried her along the pasture fence line and that was why I was supposed to call him before going in. I went back to the bedroom and couldn't find her. I found the fresh grave. She was, had been, 16. She gave me a final good bye. It would have been much harder if she hadn't. Yes, Hunter was there for you, just like Sierra was for me.


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*3 Goldens and Aislinn*

3 Goldens and Aislinn:

What beautiful stories about Hunter and Sierra.


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## Wolfeye (Sep 15, 2015)

I'm not sure why I read these stories. Every time I do, my heart breaks, the same as the person writing the tale. I just can't keep away. These beautiful souls, these things we call Goldens, are such special dogs. My heart is sad now for Hunter and Axl and all the others I have read about. I appreciate them and the meaning each dog had. I have been blessed with TWO heart dogs, my half-Golden Lupo and my full Golden, Fenris. I had both for over ten years and I miss them both very much. Sadly and joyfully, I'm falling for my precious puppy Bagheera too. I suspect that this time, when Bagheera dies, there won't be any way to recover. He is so sweet. He's not Lupo nor is he Fenris, he's who he is. And I love him already.

Hunter was a wonderful dog. Thank you for sharing his life with us.

Some say there is a beyond. Some say it's wishful thinking. All I know, and feel to be true, is Will Rogers' famous quote:

"If there are no dogs in heaven, then when I die, I want to go where they went"


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## B and G Mom (Oct 29, 2014)

Beautiful tribute to an amazing dog!!!!!


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## G-bear (Oct 6, 2015)

A really lovely tribute to Hunter. He was such a beautiful dog. I understand how a special dog can hold a piece of our hearts even years after they have left us. They hold our hearts tightly in life and death. It is only right that they be called our heart dogs. I, too, lost a dog (a sheltie) to ProHeart 6. I was trying to do what was best for him by keeping him free of heartworm, just as you were. Little did any of us know it would take our dog's lives. Although it has been many years since you lost Hunter, I am sorry for your loss.


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## Piper_the_goldenpuppy (Aug 26, 2016)

What a beautiful tribute to Hunter, and a lovely story about Sierra. I loved reading about Hunter, and it brought tears to my eyes. Reminded me of my heart dog, Mae, who I lost an early age to lymphoma. Its incredible how much dogs touch our lives.


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## 3 goldens (Sep 30, 2005)

G-bear. one in Florida, Stacy, lost her pom, Precious, and almost lost her sheltie, Jamie Lyn to PH6. One in Colorado, Jean took all 3 of hers in and within 2 months her "skipper key" (don't know how to spell it) was dead from dying liver, and 454 pound cotton ball mix was dead of AIHa, and her 2 year old shepherd/lab mix was on meds the rest of his life for the autoimmune damage he got. Jean, like me, blamed herself. One in P{hilly lost two cockers. One in Canada lost her seeing eye golden. So many of us were in heavy contact for a few years, and some of us still are. More dogs died from PH6 in 4 years than died of all others combined and some had been out 25 years. That is why the FDA had them pull it in Sept. 2004, just 11 months after Hunters death. They had a big hearing in Jan. 2005 to get it back and several went to testify, including two of those mentioned above. We were told head of time and we sent in our stories. The panel of 15 read our stories, and then at the hearing heard from those that were there. After the decision came done, Connie from Florida called me to tell me the FDA said no return until it was reformulated and that took almost 4 years.

Connie and then later a couple of others called me, and they said there were something like 10 that were there to tell the stories, but each panel member had been given copies of our letters, vet bills (some vets admitted it was PH6, etc . Fort Dodge showed up with lawyers, some vets, and banfield vets who said they had never had a reaction. BUT there were several who had reported to the FDA and then to this panel their dogs were given PH6 by Banfield, and Banfiled had been notified.

On a side note, one in Wisconsin lost her border collie, bandit the same day I lost Hunter. Sue had a horror story. Bandit went into seizures about an hour after the injection. Her vet was gone for the day so took him to emergency. They ahd to totally knock him out to stop the seizure, and as soon as he came around it started up again. Was to much and he died a few hours after getting there. The ER vet said they would have to test for rabies. Sue told them he was up to date on rabies vax, and was an indoor dog. vet said it didn't make any difference, it needed to be check. Poor Sue had no idea what that involved and that horrible vet startee cutting Bandits head off while she was in the room. She had night mares for a long, long.


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