Flippy's Cat Page - Sailor's Story

SAILOR'S STORY

In Loving Memory of Sailor
1984 - February 1, 2003

Dearest Sailor,

You were beautiful, loving, and kind.
You came to us in 1995 when your Master died.
We will never forget you, sweet Sailor.

Until we meet again at Rainbow Bridge.

With all our love,
Flippy, George, Mia, and kitties: Romeo, Juliet, & Chloe.

Eddy and Matt
with Sailor in 1984
Puppy Sailor02B

Sailor in 2001 -
in his backyard
sailor4a

Sailor's standard greeting was very clever -- he knew how to "shake paws".

We adopted Sailor in 1995 after Sailor's elderly owner Matt had passed away. Matt had lived with his brother Eddy, on a farm in Dargo (350 kilometres NE of Melbourne) for more than half a century. In 1984, a young puppy was abandoned on the farm by visitors who promised to return in "a few weeks" to retrieve the puppy. At once Matt and Eddy adopted the Border Collie X German Shepherd puppy and called him Sailor. Not until two years later did the visitors return for the puppy, but by then Matt and Eddy would not give Sailor away to "strangers".
After Eddy passed away in 1990, Matt continued to care for Sailor. Sadly, in 1995 Matt also passed away. Matt and Eddy's nephew, John, and George travelled to Dargo to make the funeral arrangements. By the time John and George arrived at Dargo, Sailor had been on his own for three days. He was cold, hungry, and frightened.
That night, I received a phone call from George telling me about an adorable pooch who was going to be "put down" if a home could not be found for him. George asked me what we should do and my immediate reply was "Bring him home!"
Several days later George returned to Melbourne, bringing Sailor with him. We took Sailor to the vet a few days later, and not knowing his age the vet estimated that Sailor was 9 years old. As it turned out, Sailor was 11 years old at that time. Sailor is 17 years old this year (2001), and he is still going strong!
When Sailor first came to live with us he was thin and scared. He is now a healthy, friendly pooch, with a sweet and loveable nature. He is gentle and kind to all animals, especially to our kitties Romeo, Juliet, and to our kitten Chloe. Sailor is such a gentle dog, that my sisters never hesitated to allow their young children to play with him. My nephews would hug and kiss him, brush him backwards, and crawl into the dog-house with him! Through it all, Sailor never showed himself to be anything but the gentle and caring old soul that he is.
The strange part about this whole story is that several months before we adopted Sailor, I had acquired a large dog-house even though I had no dog at the time. Whenever anyone would question me about it, I would reply that "A dog will come along soon." George and I were not actively looking for a puppy or dog to adopt, although, I must admit that at times it was very tempting especially whenever we stopped to admire the squirming, wriggling, puppies at the local pet store. Somehow I just *knew* that we would not be getting a puppy. I *knew* that we would be rescuing a dog soon.
Was it luck or fate that brought Sailor to us? We'll never know.
by Flippy
August, 2001
February 1, 2003:
Sailor suffered a stroke last night, and passed away peacefully this morning. George was with him when he passed.
Sailor lived a full and happy life and passed away at 19 years. During his final years Sailor suffered from arthritis, and he also had difficulty seeing clearly due to cataracts in his eyes. He also had difficulty hearing, but always had a keen sense of smell. He was sweet, kind, and patient. We were very fortunate to have had him in our lives.
Rest In Peace, sweet Sailor. We will miss you.

In loving memory of Sailor
Friends
Crushed by despair, sorrow so deep I can find no way to clear.
My friend has just died, you see.
Help me to see this differently. Where do they go, These precious ones?
Their lives too short, the years too swift.
Let me see his ageless image. In my dreams he stands beside me -
my boundless, beloved friend.
Though by death we may seem apart, our hearts are linked by silken chain.
And our bond remains forever unbroken.
By Barbara Meyers
February 1, 2003