Kiwi (aka East Dawn Pirate's Lady)
May 30, 2005 - August 25, 2015

This is the most difficult thing I have ever had to write.  Kiwi passed away peacefully at home in my arms on August 25, 2015.  When she joined our family, I was expecting to have another outgoing, confident, happy-go-lucky Cardigan. Much to my surprise, Kiwi was anything but outgoing and confident. She was fearful to the point of being incapacitated, overwhelmed by the slightest stimulus. I had never dealt with a dog like that before and I admit that it caused me a great deal of stress. But I didn’t give up on her.  She inspired me to become a better trainer. Together, we worked and learned and grew. I read everything I could get my hands on, enrolled in a host of course, attended seminars … She put her heart in my hands and trusted me implicitly. With a lot of support from our friends, we became a team in the truest sense of the word. When we ran an agility course, it was pure bliss for us both. I can’t express in words how deeply her loss has affected me. It will take a very long time to heal.