In Memory of Dillan
July 7, 2006 – One really magnificent rescue collie crossed over the bridge this morning … he came to me from the Clarksville Humane Society* almost six years ago at which time they had had him for over six weeks when they finally approached me to help him find a home as he was a very depressed senior boy, a 7 yr. old intact blue merle.
As his story unfolded, he had been running with several dog’s on a farm getting no vet care and fighting for every bite of food he could get where the owner was getting ready to “get rid of some dogs” by threatening to shoot them one day.
A farmhand saw the potential in the older collie’s eyes and swept him up to take him to the shelter to hopefully be saved. After six long weeks in a shelter environment, he arrived with an attitude that I had never dealt with … penning down every dog I tried putting him with, so needless to say, he had to be isolated/separated from all the fun. Once neutered and several more weeks passing by, he finally proved to be dog friendly and ‘one of the family’, and was housebroken in no time … he was with me for six months before the perfect home found hi
His current owner eagerly drove all the way from Oklahoma to meet her boy with hopes that he would fall in love with her and be on his way back to his new and permanent home … which he did. This wonderful boy expressed so much potential that she got him certified as a therapy dog, and Dillan has been frequenting nursing homes for that past four years (but not so much the past several months). He shared his home with other dogs and a cat and always got along with them famously … when this boy first arrived more than five years ago, I would have never guessed such potential.
Dillan not only got a wonderful home, but he found me a wonderful friend, Becky … she has been awesome to keep Dillan close to my heart, and we have become very good friends through all the cards, emails, photos, Christmas gifts, Santa Dog toys and treats and long distance phone calls with Dillan barking into the phone every time I answered or called – priceless … and when she called to give me the sad news today, I could still hear him barking in the phone …
This special boy who had such a hard life to fortunately find a ‘great’ life will not soon be forgotten … please remember him in your prayers as we all know how hurtful it is to lose one of our babies … Dillan celebrated his 13th birthday just last month …
God Speed, my precious Dillan man … I will miss hearing about you … but will always be so proud of what you became and so grateful to your mom for loving you so very much …
– Joni Willoughby
