Pet Pride ~ Memories of Shenzi

Shenzi in front of her home.

This winter while I was house/pet sitting in Picton, Ontario I made friends with a little dog called Shenzi, which in Swahili means "mongrol".

Fresh from a swim in Lake Ontario

She was a funny little dog with a mind of her own but oh how she made me laugh when she wanted me to do what she wanted. Walking with our friends Chloe and Ziggy at Sandbanks Provincal Park.

Her "mom" had said because she was mature in age (13 years) she would only be able to walk for about 30 minutes at a time. "Do we really have to go that way?"

I love to walk. The second or third day after her mom had gone Shenzi and I went for a walk in the Conservation Area not far from her home....it was not an easy walk, early March, thin ice, melting snow, mud but we walked an unbelieveable 12 kms on our first day! Mid March in Sandbanks Provincal Park.

We were both exhausted, hungry and a little sore(at least I was!) when we got home. When it came time for bed I went to let Shenzi out for her pee. When she went to get up she dragged her backend. I thought "that's it...I've killed her!" But she pulled herself up and managed to get down and back up the deck stairs and then upstairs to bed. I worried all night about her but the next morning, like me she was raring to go!

On the beach with our friends.

From that day on, every day for seven weeks we walked from 8 to 15 kms/day and Shenzi was always the first one out the door and always leading the way.

She was always the first one in the water(Lake Ontario).

She was simply amazing. If I chose to do a bike ride instead of walk she would be downright annoyed, dumping her water dish which I walked through in my stocking feet every time or she would ignore me until she got her walk which she inveritably did! She wormed her way into my heart with her determination and her antics. She was deaf (I think it was selective hearing), her ears smelled, she would bite if you picked her up the wrong way but she was loyal and oh so funny and she made me laugh everyday! As I was packing up after seven weeks she was determined she was going too!

On Thursday, July 23, 2009 Shenzi was hit and killed by a car in front of her home in Picton, Ontario going out for her bedtime pee. As my heart aches for the loss of this little gem of a companion it also aches for her "mom" who she shared 13 years with.

Rest in peace little one!

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