Apollo in Memory
APOLLO de la Maison du Garde-Barrière
As loving aura fills the sky
as you rest on clouds of fleece,
and angels gently tuck you in,
may you sleep in heavenly peace.
January 31, 1994 - July 1, 2006
Sire: Rec. Champ. SÁNDOR von Anitzberg (Austria * HD A/B, PRA clear, SNB clear * BgH 1+2 * Champion Slovakia 1997 * Koerung for lifetime - recommended for breeding)
Dam: ARWA Zevar CS (Import from Slovakia * HD A/A * SchH 1)
Apollo came from the first litter of my kennel, de la Maison du Garde-Barrière. He came to live with a retired couple in Lower Austria at eight weeks old; Apollo had already chosen the Hauser family himself at four weeks old. He had a wonderful life as the only dog and was with his owners around the clock.
On April 15, 2005, I received an email from Apollo's veterinarian's assistant, informing me that this dog URGENTLY needed a new home: his owner was suffering from severe Alzheimer's and was in the hospital, and his wife was dying of cancer. Apollo's owner wanted to spare her beloved pet the animal shelter and had gone to the vet with the request to have Apollo euthanized. This was strictly refused due to Apollo's good health, and so they were now looking for someone who could give this dog a happy and happy retirement. The veterinary assistant had used the data in the pedigree and vaccination record to search for my address and found an email address.
Since my beloved Samson had crossed the Rainbow Bridge, exactly one month prior, I spontaneously decided to take in this dog. Apollo deserved to spend his golden years where he was born—I owed that to him and his owners. I even called his owner: I wanted her to know before she passed away that she no longer needed to worry about her darling, because he would be coming to live with me. Mrs. Hauser was very relieved and happy about this. That same evening, Apollo was picked up at the home of the veterinary assistant who had been keeping him for a few days. Apollo immediately got into the car and slept the entire way. What really got to me was that Apollo's entire life was packed in a plastic bag: his blanket, food and water bowls, vaccination record, pedigree, collar, leash, toys, even his puppy collar, which he had received from me, was all there. An entire life—11 years—packed in a plastic bag. …..
The owner of Akira, Apollo's sister, was with me and decided during the drive that he could take Apollo in, as he only had female dogs at home. Unfortunately, that didn't go well, because Apollo attacked the weakest member of the pack, a mixed-breed female dog who was seriously ill with leukemia. So, Apollo came to me the next day. After a short time, he recognized me, which probably made it a little easier for him to settle into his birthplace. Luckily, he ate the food I offered him from the very first moment, and with that, a major hurdle I had feared was overcome. My two female dogs, Whoopy and Oh-Lala, also helped Apollo a lot to feel comfortable here. In the end, he preferred Whoopy as his constant companion because she was much calmer than Oh-Lala.
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On July 1st, 2006, I had to say goodbye to Apollo and let him cross the Rainbow Bridge: his legs completely gave out and would no longer support him. For fourteen months, I lovingly cared for this sweet-hearted boy, making his final days more enjoyable after he was taken from a fulfilling and wonderful life with his owners at the age of 11.
I hope, dear Apollo, that I was able to be a good substitute for the loved ones for whom you were their whole world, their everything, for those 11 years.