Glasgowhill’s Hold Fast (Cloud) TD

2008 - 2022

MARCH 6, 2008 - JUNE 21, 2022: CLOUD'S MOTHER (DAM) WAS GLASGOWHILL’S DOUBLE TROUBLE (TROUBLE) AND HER FATHER (SIRE) WAS CAN CH GLASGOWHILL'S LET IT BURN (USHER) WHOM SHE RESEMBLED SO MUCH. TROUBLE ALREADY LIVED WITH US ALONG WITH OUR OTHER TRI COLLIE GIRL, KEEPER BUT TROUBLE WAS STILL CO-OWNED WITH US AND OUR FRIEND AND COLLIE BREEDER SANDI UNTIL TROUBLE HAD FULFILLED HAVING A LITTER OF PUPPIES UNDER SANDRA’S OWNERSHIP; THEN TROUBLE COULD BE FULLY OURS. OF COURSE, WE WERE EXCITED WITH SANDI ABOUT THE LITTER AND OF COURSE WE HAD TO HAVE ONE OF TROUBLE’S PUPPIES TO JOIN OUR FAMILY! SANDI SAID TROUBLE AND USHER’S LITTER WAS ONE OF THE NICEST EVER. MY ELDERLY FATHER, WHO HAD BEEN LIVING WITH US, HAD JUST PASSED AWAY A FEW WEEKS BEFORE CLOUD’S BIRTH. TO HAVE THIS LITTLE BUNDLE OF FLUFF JOIN OUR FAMILY AFTER SUCH A LOSS, BROUGHT MUCH NEEDED JOY AND THERAPY TO ME AND MY HUSBAND. I PRE-CHOSE “GLASGOWHILL’S “HOLD FAST” AKA “CLOUD” AS A CALL NAME FOR OUR NEW PUPPY TO BE, AS "HOLD FAST" IS THE MOTTO OF MY LATE MATERNAL GRANDMOTHER'S MACLEOD CLAN. CLOUD BEING SHORT FOR MACLEOD. THIS PUPPY COMING AT A TIME OF FAMILY LOSS, WAS HELPING TO FILL A VOID OF LOSING MY DAD AND MEMORIES OF MY MOM’S PASSING SOME YEARS BEFORE. CLOUD BROUGHT JOY TO US AND OTHERS FROM THE VERY START. SHE WAS A PRECIOUS, SABLE AND WHITE ROUGH COLLIE PUPPY WITH AN INDEPENDENT HAPPY STREAK RIGHT FROM THE START. SHE WAS BORN WITH HER FUR COLOURS FORMING A BIG "C" ON HER CHEST. HER BREEDER SANDI SAID SHE HAD TO BE MINE (CHERYL'S) AS I HAD PRE-PICKED THE NAME CLOUD FOR OUR PUPPY ...."C" FOR CLOUD AND "C" FOR CHERYL SHE SAID. NO GREATER JOY COULD HAVE BEEN IMAGINED THEN THAT SHE WOULD NOT ONLY BRING MUCH NEEDED JOY TO OUR HOME BUT TO SO MANY PEOPLE FROM YOUNG TO OLD OVER 12 OF HER 14.4 YEARS AS A ST JOHN AMBULANCE (SJA), CHILD-FRIENDLY CERTIFIED THERAPY DOG. CLOUD FOLLLOWED HER MOTHER TROUBLE’S PAWPRINTS TO BECOME A SJA THERAPY DOG. CLOUD WAS NEVER HAPPIER THAN WHEN WE PUT ON HER SJA BANDANA TO "GO SEE THE PEOPLE". OH, THE HIGHWAYS AND BYWAYS, OVER MANY MILES AND YEARS, THROUGH ALL KINDS OF WEATHER, DID CLOUD TRAVEL WITH US TO SO MANY VENUES (BOTH MY HUSBAND AND I BEING SJA THERAPY DOG HANDLERS). IN HER TIME, SHE VISITED OUR LOCAL HOSPITAL (AND EVEN ATTENDED SPECIAL REQUESTS TO THE ICU AND PALLIATIVE CARE), CMHA DROP-IN CENTRE, LTC AND RETIREMENT LIVING HOMES, SENIOR FAIRS, COLLEGE AND GRADE SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES, COMPANY WELLNESS PROGRAMS, EMPLOYEE WELLNESS FAIRS, NUMEROUS OUTDOOR FAIRS AND INDOOR TRADE SHOWS TO PROMOTE THE THERAPY DOG PROGRAM, DOGSTOCK, VISITING MILITARY BASE CHILDREN, DAYAWAY PROGRAMS AND OTHERS. CHRISTMAS WAS ALWAYS A SPECIAL TIME WHEN WE WOULD VISIT WITH BOTH CLOUD AND LATER OUR OTHER COLLIE AND THERAPY DOG, ALAGRIA, TO THEIR REGULAR VISITING PLACES LIKE THE HOSPTIAL, DROP-IN CENTRE, RETIREMENT HOMES OR COLLEGE CAMPUS, ALL DRESSED UP FOR CHRISTMAS WITH LITTLE SANTA HATS AND BELLS. THE HAPPINESS THEY WOULD BRING. I'D BE REMISS IF I DID NOT MENTION HOW MUCH SHE LOVED HER BEST FRIEND AND SJA DOG MATE, BUDDY THE JACK RUSSELL. OH, THE FUN WE HAD TEAMING UP WITH LOLLY AND BUDDY. WE HUMANS WERE JUST ON THE END OF THE LEASH. PEOPLE DID NOT RECALL OUR NAMES BUT THEY NEVER FORGOT THE DOGS. TO CLOUD, LIFE WAS ONLY ABOUT GIVING AND GETTING LOVE. IT WAS AS SIMPLE AS THAT. OH, THE SLOPPY KISSES SHE GAVE AND I SO MISS. OH, IF ONLY WE HUMANS COULD JUST UNDERSTAND THE SIMPLICITY OF LOVING UNCONDITIONALLY. CLOUD HAD LOSSES OF HER OWN IN HER LIFE, FIRST LOSING HER MOTHER TROUBLE TOO SOON AND THEN IN SUCCESSION OVER A FEW YEARS OUR OTHER 2 COLLIES AND FAMILY MEMBERS (HER PACK) KEEPER AND ALAGRIA. SHE SO MOURNED THEIR LEAVING. SHE WAS A VERY SENSITIVE COLLIE AS MANY ARE BUT IT SEEMED TO MAKE HER EVEN MORE SENSITIVE TO THE NEEDS OF HUMANS. SHE KNEW WHEN ONE WAS HURTING AND NEEDED A SPECIAL HELLO. SHE LOVED IT WHEN OUR NEWEST FAMILY COLLIE (#10), GLASGHOWILL'S BODACIOUS (AVA) JOINED US IN THE FALL OF 2020. AVA CAME TO HELP LIFT CLOUD'S SPIRITS AS SHE SO MISSED ALAY. AVA IS ALAY'S GRAND-DAUGHTER AND YOUNGER THAN CLOUD AS ALAY WAS BUT THEY BOTH HAD A QUIET LOVING MATERNAL WAY ABOUT THEM THAT ENCOURAGED CLOUD AND YET THEY GAVE HER THE RESPECT AND DIGNITY IN HER GOLDEN YEARS IN HER RIGHTFUL PLACE AS PACK LEADER. AVA TRULY BROUGHT HAPPINESS AND A WILL FOR CLOUD TO KEEP GOING AND BROUGHT A BIT OF "YOUTH" BACK TO OUR AGING CLOUDY. I ALWAYS SAID "CLOUD WILL NEVER GET THIS BEING OLD". SHE JUST WAS ALWAYS SO FULL OF LIFE! IT WAS SO HARD TO SEE OUR ONCE, RUN- LIKE- THE -WIND, SILLY, “CHATTY CATHY”, VIBRANT, LEASH PULLING, IMPATIENT “TO GET TO THE NEXT PERSON TO LOVE” GIRL, START TO SLOW DOWN WITH AGE AND ARTHRITIS AFFECTING HER MOBILITY. YET SHE WAS BRIGHT AND ALERT IN HER THINKING TO THE END AND SHE FOUGHT LIKE A TROOPER TO NEVER GIVE UP WALKING EVEN IF SLOWER. IT WAS OUR PRIVILEDGE AND HONOUR TO CARE FOR HER AND CARRY HER PLACES WHEN NEEDED. UNTIL YOU HAVE LOVED AN OLD DOG THERE IS NO GREATER UNCONDITIONAL LOVE THAT SHINES FROM THEIR EYES OF THANKS INTO YOURS. I SAW A VIDEO THAT STATED THAT NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU LOVE YOUR DOG THEY LOVE YOU MORE AND I KNOW THAT WITHOUT A DOUBT, CLOUD DID US, IF THAT WAS POSSIBLE. EVEN IN HER LAST HOUR, IN HER WAY SPEAKING FROM HER EYES, SHE TOLD US SHE WANTED TO STAY BUT WAS SO SORRY SHE JUST COULD NOT STAY ANY LONGER. OUR VET CLINIC AND TEAM WERE SO APPRECIATED IN THEIR EXCELLENT CARE FOR CLOUD ALL HER LIFE AND ESPECIALLY HER FINAL YEARS AS THINGS GOT HARDER BUT I THINK THEY ALL GOT TO KNOW HER BETTER IN HER REGULAR VISITS FOR LASER TREATMENTS LOVINGLY CARRYING HER FROM AND TO THE CAR SO SHE’D NOT HAVE TO FIGHT THE SLIPPERY FLOORS. I THINK MAYBE CLOUD TOUCHED THEIR HEARTS TOO. TO HAVE HER VET SINCE PUPPY DAYS AND SO CARING VET TECHS SHE KNEW, BE THERE FOR HER AT THE END, HELPED EASE THE EXTREME SADNESS AND LOSS WE FELT. CLOUD TOO I’M SURE KNEW SHE WAS WITH ALL THOSE WHO LOVED HER DEARLY. I FEEL WE DON'T SAY GOODBYE, AS I DO BELIEVE GOD WILL ALLOW US TO SEE CLOUDY AND ALL OUR BELOVED PET COMPANIONS AGAIN.
" YOU WERE MY FAVOURITE HELLO AND MY HARDEST GOOD-BYE) CLOUDY". WE LOVE YOU AND YOU ARE SNUGGLED IN OUR HEARTS FOREVER, CHERYL AND BILL AND AVA-BO