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A Tribute


Guest auntiesara

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Guest auntiesara

Last weekend, we went to an animal communicator who had been strongly recommended to us to see if she could help Sadie, who could not understand what had happened to cause Matt to disappear. I didn't know what to expect, but we decided to try.

She said that Sadie could not grasp the concept of his death, and she would see if she could ask Matt to help her. What happened then shook me. She knew nothing about us or what had happened.

She said that she was in contact with Matt. He was going on with great enthusiasm about a special treat he had had on his last day. Sara thought it must be some barbequed chicken sausages he had shared with me at supper, but he was very insistent, "no,no,no", it was crunchy and he didn't know what it was, he'd never had it before. That really struck me, because if she were not on the level, I'd expect she would have seized on it, "yes, yes, the sausages".

I felt sorry for him after being quilled, so that afternoon I drove about 10 miles to the nearest pet store and got him some dehydrated chicken breast strips, which were so dehydrated, they were brittle. I'd never gotten them before, but they seemed the nicest treat they had, and he did seem to enjoy them.

He went on to say that he knew we took him to help as fast as we could, and he felt that it had been a "valiant" (her word) way to die. That sounded like him. He was a hunter to his core, and I dreaded the thought of him being weak and ill in his old age. He was so strong and brave and lived life with such joy. He was proud of himself, but he had a lot to be proud of. If he were human, he would have been a Marine.

He asked us to gather his family in a ceremony for him and tell stories about him. I think that that includes Greytalkers, who can not be there in person, but who knew and loved him.

When we first met him, he was still underweight and ill from his ordeal as an abandoned hunting dog on the Texas prarie, but he brought his four packmates through safely until their rescue. He was so beautiful, and such a strong presence, that once I saw his picture on the Internet and showed it to Sara, she knew that we had to get him no matter the difficulties in bringing him to Boston.

We met him outside Philadelphia the day after a blizzard. He hopped right into our car and calmly slept most of the way to Boston. He fitted in as though this had always been his home, and was a perfect gentleman from the start. He chose his sleeping spot on the pillows at the head of the bed next to Sara. We thought our yard was fenced to hold a friend's Jack Russell Terrier mix, but on his first day, he went into the neighbors' yard. When Sara called him, he came right to her, flattening out and crawling under at a low spot we would never have imagined he could get his head through, let alone all of him. If she hadn't seen it, we would have been sure he jumped over.

He only recently learned to wade on his Sunday Greyhound walks, but once he tried it, he loved the water and looked forward to his wades as the high point of the day. He loved his walks through the woods around a pond near the Charles River, and often led me off the path into the woods to show me a spot where an animal had bedded down or eaten. He was never wrong when he alerted me to something, but until I learned that, I sometimes had to be shown, most memorably when I told him there was nothing in a bush, and he plunged in his head and pulled out a skunk.

Our dogs are so much larger than the animals they hunt, it is easy to overlook the courage they show lunging face-first at an animal armed with teeth and claws. He had scars on his face from past encounters, but showed no hesitation. When he was quilled, I was standing less than 20 feet away, and he did not make a sound. He was stoic and brave all the way to the vet. The next night, when he was fighting for every breath as we rushed to get him to help, he was calm and strong. He even reached between the seats to nuzzle me as I drove. He walked into the examining room on his own, and calmly and quietly let the vet know that he could not lie down for his X-ray.

He was gentle and friendly with Greyhounds and small dogs, even deferential rather than confrontational when they were snappish, but he recognized other hunting breeds, and wanted to be the dominant dog in the group. He knew he was the best, and was determined it be recognized.

Since his passing, we have seen it recognized. People who only met him once remember him and genuinely mourn his loss. He made an impression on so many people, wherever he went, and he will not be forgotten.

Charlie

Edited by auntiesara
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What a heartwarming tribute to your courageous Matt. :beatheart I hope Sadie has a better understanding of where he is now, and can relax. From chats I've had with my friend who's also an animal communicator, the spirits of passed ones still visit, and are a welcoming presence in the home for other hounds. :grouphug

Jeanne with Remington & Scooter the cat
....and Beloved Bridge Angels Sandee, Shari, Wells, Derby, Phoenix, Jerry Lee and Finnian.....
If tears could build a stairway, and memories a lane, I'd walk right up to heaven
and bring you home again.

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I am so happy that you could have this wonderful experience with the communicator! :grouphug Matt will always be very special to all of us.

Usethisone.jpg

Patti-Mommy of Lady Sophia 7-28-92 - 8-3-04... LaceyLaine 8-2-94-12-5-07...

Flash Gordon 7-14-99 - 8-29-09... BrookLynne...Pavé Maria... and 18 Bridge Kids.

WATCHING OVER US~SOPHIA~QUEENIE~LACEY LAINE~

CODY ANGELO~FLASH GORDON.

 

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:cry1 What a touching tribute. I feel like I knew him.

...............Chase (FTH Smooth Talker), Morgan (Cata), Reggie (Gable Caney), Rufus
(Reward RJ). Fosters check in, but they don't check out.
Forever loved -- Cosmo (System Br Mynoel), March 11, 2002 - October 8, 2009.
Miss Cosmo was a lady. And a lady always knows when to leave.

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Very nice tribute :weep

We will miss Matt on our beach walks.

Here he is making a new friend.

April172005-005.jpg

 

He could be silly though.

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Our first meeting

Beach-walk-Aug.28-2004-007.jpg

Willow( Hi Tech Popandgo ) CGC #31965 Calico Salad x MayPop 8-9-93/9-24-07 Austin( Nodak Austin ) #55202 Chrisse's Twelve x Lotsa Liz 2-25-96/2-15-05 Matt( Kelsos Metaphor ) #90695 Oswald Cobblepot x Kelso's Movita 8-10-00/2-28-14 Buddy (Aljo Class Act) #78137 Action By Design x Miss Classy 12-8-98/8-29-09 Sonny (Onaim Excalibur)#97927 Flying Train x Rough Diamond 9-7-01/1-9-2016Hunter (SS Snow Roll) #35135 Craigie Whistler x Lightning Snow 10-4-2005/9-23-17 Leo (Yolo Empleo)#72060 4-13-18 Fiesta Paraguas x Mega Bien Hecho
 

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Guest auntiesara

Matt's best friend was an ex-track Greyhound named Stormy. They were about the same size, and when they first met each other, they would stand side-by-side and stretch up on tip-toes to see who was taller. They would run in Stormy's yard, and he would try to win the race with Matt by using race tactics, trying to jam Matt into the wall. He had never met a courser before, and didn't know what to think when Matt hopped up and ran along the top of the wall!

Charlie

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Guest canagreyts

What a beautiful tribute to your wonderful dog.

 

It has inspired me to ask (and I'm not sure if this is the right place) if people on GT would like me to create a book of their hounds ~ of all the GT hounds we've lost. I would collect stories like this with your hounds pictures and when we have enough stories I could bind them together and send them to people who would like to have them.

 

It could be a tribute to our "Rainbow Angels".

 

What do you think?

 

Patti

(Canagreyts)

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What an amazing experience you had with the communicator. I hope that it proved to be helpful and comforting for Sadie.

 

Matt sounds like an extraordinary soul and an unforgettable presence.

 

Thank you for sharing this story.

 

Lucy

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Lucy with Greyhound Nate and OSH Tinker. With loving memories of MoMo (FTH Chyna Moon), Spirit, Miles the slinky kitty (OSH), Piper "The Perfect" (Oneco Chaplin), Winston, Yoda, Hector, and Claire.

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What a lovely story! I swear Miss Sissy started feeling better after I told her there was a very special new angel up in Heaven that was going to help show her how to fight her cancer.

 

After my experience losing my horse last year, I KNOW where they go (maybe I'm nuts, but I can feel him sometimes, just filling up the air all around me with the same energy he had when he was in his body), and I KNOW they are looking out for us and we will see them all again.

 

Blessings to you and sweet angel Matt,

 

Hooversmom

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THE WEIRDEST THING JUST HAPPENED!!!! :wow

 

As I was posting my reply about telling Miss Sissy that Matt would help her fight her cancer, SHE CAME UP AND LICKED THE COMPUTER SCREEN!!! She has never shown the slightest interest in it before.

 

Wow...

 

:wub:

 

Thanks for coming to visit, beautiful boy!!!

 

Hooversmom (remembering that miracles DO happen all the time if we know where to look for them)

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What a wonderful tribute to a beautiful boy. :candle:grouphug

Greyhound angels at the bridge- Casey, Charlie, Maggie, Molly, Renie, Lucy & Teddy. Beagle angels Peanut and Charlie. And to all the 4 legged Bridge souls who have touched my heart, thank you. When a greyhound looks into you eyes it seems they touch your very soul.

"A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more then he loves himself". Josh Billings

siggie-7.jpg

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Guest Winterwish
:grouphug Matt must be so proud of this beautiful tribute to him.And I'm sure he's sending you & your family,his family, so much love & gratitude. :gh_lay:grouphug
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Guest auntiesara

A little update-Sadie always wanted a sister-she's smiling and wagging again. Last night she and Elsie fell asleep pressed together. We know Angel Matt picked her out!

 

Sara

Edited by auntiesara
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