Goodbye, Suki

Those of you who are reading this blog probably know that Suki died yesterday, and our two and a half years together came suddenly and tragically to an end. The trauma of losing Suki so suddenly, being helpless and unable to save her, will hopefully fade in time, but memories of the time we spent together will remain with me always.


Suki was serious about her work - obeying all my commands and guiding me effortlessly through the train stations in Tel Aviv, the sidewalks of Nahariya, and even the streets of New York City. At the same time she had a spark of rebellious spirit, a joy in life and playful nature, that I first encountered on our trial walk together when she turned her head to chase after a falling leaf. Her spirit, born of intelligence and a bit of mischievousness, made Suki what she was - a dependable companion who was a joy to be with and a beautiful dog to look at.

Losing Suki was like losing a part of me - we were together for two years and nine months - a far cry from what should have been an 8-year partnership. I'm grateful for every day that I had with her, and I hope I gave her the best life I could; a mixture of hard work and play with constant love. I will always remember Suki racing through the orchard, Suki jumping into waves at the beach, playfully swinging her toy rope at me to nudge me into playing with her, Suki pulling confidently on her harness through crowded streets and train stations. No matter how many dogs I own, I will always remember her paw resting on my arm, her wet cold nose nudging me awake every morning, petting her silky ears and soft, white fur.

This is the last post written in Suki's name after we returned from New York. It marks the last days of her life when we made that memorable trip together - a triumphant conquest of new challenges and dealt with new difficulties. We were due to go to London in the future - I have no doubt that Suki would have handled it just as beautifully, and charmed everyone we met just as she did in New York.

I hope I have the strength to continue, to bond with a new guide dog, and to offer him or her the same unconditional love that I offered Suki. That dog will have a lot to live up to, and I am confident that he or she will succeed.

June 13th, 2012

There is so much to tell about our trip to New York that I don't think I could manage it all myself. I will tell you first of all that Bracha has told me that she is very proud of me and that my behavior was X-M-plary. I think that means that I was very well behaved, except for the business with the squirrels, which I'll tell you about, but anyway, here goes.

We started the trip just as any other trip we take together, but we got off at a new train station that Bracha and I had never been to before, and a nice man helped us out of the station. I was already hungry since I had not eaten all day, but I soon forgot about that in my excitement. We were at the airport, and we were flying to New York! I spent the entire plane trip sleeping next to Bracha and Pnina's feet, and by the time we got to New York I was rather light-headed from not having eaten for a day and a half. But the moment we got outside Bracha whipped out my little travel bowl and fed me. There was even a large dog run for us to relax a bit and do busy, and Lynn, Dror's dog, and I ran about and felt a lot better. Then we drove to Manhattan.

The buildings in New York are so tall that I could not see to the top, and sometimes we went up inside these buildings and I looked down into the street below, where the people looked tiny. Walking around New York is no simple task. The streets are crowded, filled with people, and very strange things happen there. Sometimes the whole sidewalk disappears and there is a scary deep hole covered by metal grates, and I had to walk around them. Other times doors open up in the middle of the sidewalk and people emerge out of nowhere, scaring the living daylights out of Lynn, Norman, (Danny's guide dog) and me. But the strangest things in New York are animals called squirrels that live in the Central Park. The first time I saw a squirrel I forgot I was in harness, forgot I was a guide dog, and completely lost it. All I wanted to do was run after them! I was just a dog! Bracha did not approve of this and gave me a good, hard leash correction and made me lie down on the pavement, but I could not settle down. When Noach heard what I had done he told Bracha in no uncertain terms that he would show me some real discipline, which he did later in the week. After that I realized that I had better shape up with the squirrel business.

Bracha and I lived at a hotel in Manhattan on the corner of 49th Street and 10th Avenue in Manhattan. Now, on the corner of 11th Avenue and 51st street there is a wonderful dog park! Bracha and I soon learned the way there, and every morning she would take me to the park and brush me. I could then run and play before beginning the hard day's work of guiding in New York City. I soon made some local friends: Kayla, a golden retriever like me, Brillo, and the two Yorkshire terriers Dot and Bert. And best of all, there was a pool in the park for dogs to swim in! So there was something in New York for me, too.

Bracha also bought me lots of presents at the pet store: a tug of war toy, a leather bone (I admit, I snitched it off the bottom shelf and Bracha had to buy it!), and a little red purse for me to wear to hold Bracha's keys and a roll of strawberry-scented plastic bags for, er, cleaning up. I was so happy and proud that I wore it everywhere we went. I even chose a present for my friend Petel - a purple donut chew toy!

People in New York were very kind to us, and no one ever told us we had to get out of a store or restaurant, and were always eager to help Bracha choose her breakfast from the buffet or get in the elevator. In New York people call me a service dog, and I am allowed everywhere. I was even allowed into the chocolate store, but Bracha soon took me out again because there were pieces of chocolate on the floor, and she didn't want me eating any!

There are a few things about New York that I cannot figure out: What did Bracha and I do to make the thousands of people cheer and clap when we walked down 5th Avenue in the parade? Were all those thousands of people there cheering and waving Israeli flags for us guide dogs from Israel? Why was the man in Central Park walking on stilts? Why do the trains in New York run underground instead of on tracks outside? And why are people in New York City always in such a hurry? I guess they are all trying to get to the tops of all those high buildings where they live and work. And where oh where are dogs supposed to do busy in New York when all the trees grow out of concrete and there is no soft green grass??

It was hard work guiding Bracha and lying quietly while Noach and Bracha talked to very important people, and I can definitely do without another 12-hour plane ride with nothing to eat but ice cubes. But, yes, I'd do it again. And it looks like I'll have to. They want us to go to London in November. I wonder if there are squirrels there, too…