IN
MEMORY OF ATHENA:
Athena was only
8 years old when she passed on because of a deadly cancer. Her 'mom' thought
of her as a kindred spirit, stoic and independent to a fault. Athena never
showed pain in her last months - never wanted to bring attention to herself
or 'disappoint' her mom. She recently went to NY with mom on vacation and hid
her pending disaster from everyone who was around her that week. Pictures taken
in NY indicated she was very happy to be on vacation and in a cool climate
to boot. It wasn't until Athena returned home with mom from NY that she started
to demonstrate strange symptoms. She died 3 weeks after life saving surgery
to remove a lung tumor failed....the tumor came back quickly and with a vengeance.
Even right before her death she rallied for a brief time - her eyes glistened,
she lifted her head to howl, and she danced like a bear for her treats and
the fresh tuna fish her mom's nephew caught for her.
Athena was an obedience CD, a pet therapy dog, a sleddog and a loving companion.
In her short life she also delighted children in schools, special needs children's
events and classes, and hospitals, soothed the minds of many elderly and incapacitated
young people living in assisted living and nursing homes, and impressed the general
public at all the fairs, parades and educational stints she did with the Siberian
Husky Rescue of Fl. Inc and the Siberian Husky Club of Tampa Bay Inc. One particularly
fond memory mom has of Athena, which also demonstrates that innate sibe determination
and resolve, involves a sled event. Three years ago, the sibe club sled was used
in a lengthy parade - the sled being pulled by an 8 to 10 dog team. Several of
the young dogs on the team dropped out early because they weren't comfortable
with the slow pace of a parade. That left Athena, her then elderly dad, Zeus,
and only one or two of the youngsters on the sled to proceed at a nice trot to
the end of the parade route. Prissy Athena always preferred trotting, as it was
more dignified than running, and she had the persistence to finish....even if
the youngsters weren't willing to help her do it.
Athena taught her mom alot about life - even though mom could never dream
of living up to the expectations that Athena lived up to.
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