Two Weeks to Go

In two weeks I will be with Dinka in Beit Oved! As time goes by and the course and my new partnership with DInka slowly grow closer, my longing for a dog grows stronger. I am ready to begin a new partnership now, inspired by the memories of the wonderful partnership I had with Suki. I know that one of the things that is helping me keenly look forward to a new partnership with Dinka is the knowledge of what a wonderful partnership I had with Suki, and I know I can have that again.


After making contact with DInka's puppy raiser I was able to excitedly scroll through dozens of pictures depicting DInka from early puppyhood until the day she was returned to Beit Oved to begin her training. There was great love there and a lot of devotion. I can't wait to give DInka that same devotion that her puppy raiser gave her, and to let her use everything she has learned in her training to help get my life back on track again.

Until then, Suki remains in my mind. It has been three months now since I lost her, and although it seems an eternity since I have been without a dog by my side, memories of Suki are still as vivid as ever. I continually push those last horrible moments out of my mind and dwell on the fun times – recalling our last days together in New York, reading the humorous accounts of our times together in my blog, thankful for the wealth of pictures and stories that I saved . The fond memories will remain with me forever. I know that there will be certain things that DInka will do that will bring a comforting reminder of Suki. Will Dinka like the beach and get into water at any opportunity? Will she lay with one foreleg curled as I once saw her do in Beit Oved, just as Suki used to do? Will she approach me waving a toy, eager to play? Will she pull on the harness eagerly as we approach the sea? I realize that these things, or any other reminder of Suki, will be a comfort - a sort of continuity. Both dogs have their own character, charm, and delightful personality, and there will be other things that I will discover that will make DInka special. I will love DInka unconditionally, and still love Suki and cherish the memories of the time I had with her.