October 16, 2009

I have some very sad news to tell you this week. Marianne's first CCI puppy, my Great Uncle Trevin, has gone to the Rainbow Bridge, as the puppy raisers say. He was 8 years old. He died from complications of cancer.

I never met Trevin, but this is what I know from the many conversations I've overheard.

Trevin came to Denver 8 years ago, almost to the day - October 17, 2001. He arrived at Denver International Airport as an 8-week old puppy and walked right into Marianne and John's hearts. He immediately made friends with the pets in the house, including the cats, and settled into the family routine as though he'd never lived anywhere else. He learned his commands quickly and easily, didn't eat anything he wasn't supposed to, behaved perfectly in public and charmed everyone he knew.

After Trevin went to Advanced Training at CCI in Oceanside, Calif. and Marianne and John were raising their second puppy, Stryker No, Stryker Don't, Marianne was heard to remark, "Oh, I get it now. CCI sends you the perfect puppy the first time and suckers you into the program, and then they send you the challenging puppy!"

According to everyone in the CCI community and at 7News, Trevin had charisma. Even people who weren't fond of dogs would melt at his soulful gaze and reach down to pet him. Invariably someone would say, "He looks so sad!" Marianne would laugh and reply, "Yes, he practices that look in the mirror so you'll come over and pet him. It worked, didn't it?"

In fact, Trevin was a very happy dog who loved to play, but he took his work very seriously. When his vest was on he was a Working Dog. He loved to be petted but he always obeyed the rules and sat calmly, with one notable exception. Any time Trevin saw Dave Green, KMGH News Director, he would break his sit-stay and gallop over to Dave, jump up and cover his face with kisses. Marianne was horrified every time this happened, but Trevin persisted despite sharp corrections. Fortunately Dave, who passed away in September of 2006, was a Dog Person and loved Trevin in equal measure. Marianne is certain that Dave is the first person Trevin looked for in heaven.

Trevin's nickname was Mr. Cuddles because he loved snuggling. One of the other Denver puppy raisers commented, "Trevin has the smallest personal space of any dog I've ever known!" This trait endeared him to everyone he met, even when they had to brush left-behind yellow fur off their clothes.

Trevin did very well in Advanced Training and adored his trainers Todd and Simi. However, as the training intensified he became anxious and began to exhibit signs of stress such as barking in public. CCI has very high standards and the first priority is always the safety of the human and canine team. An anxious, stressed dog is not a solid working dog. Simi worked with Trevin to overcome his fears but in the end CCI made the difficult decision to release him from the program the day before Team Training began, much to everyone's disappointment.

Because Marianne and John already had two pet dogs, and because they felt Trevin wanted to be more than a house pet, they asked CCI to place Trevin with their friend Carol Weldin, in Alamo, Calif. Carol had recently lost her beloved golden retriever and was interested in adopting a released CCI dog to participate in pet therapy programs. This seemed like a perfect match for Trevin, who loved to work, just not full-time. Carol and Trevin became a certified therapy team and participated in numerous programs including a reading program, a hospital, an animal shelter, and a residential children's hospice. Trevin was a favorite among patients, kids and staff alike. Trevin was a tolerant fellow and submitted to ridiculous costumes on holidays, even if his dignity suffered in the process. Trevin understood that therapy takes many forms, including making people smile.

Trevin wasn't all work however, and enjoyed traveling with Carol and her friend Jack, going for long walks along the nearby Iron Horse Trail, attending baseball games with Jack and playing with Ducky. Marianne bought Ducky, a Beanie Buddy, at a neighborhood garage sale when Trevin was a young puppy and it immediately became his favorite toy. He never tried to field dress or otherwise play too roughly with Ducky. Marianne and John gave it to Carol when she adopted Trevin and despite receiving at least 573 additional toys, including stuffed ducks, from Carol over the years, Ducky remained his favorite. When small holes appeared in Ducky from time to time, Trevin watched anxiously as Carol made the necessary repairs. Trevin frequently played fetch with Ducky and often used it as a pillow during his sunbath and nap in Carol's back yard nearly every morning.

Trevin was diagnosed with cancer last spring. Carol arranged for chemotherapy and other treatments which Trevin handled with his usual grace and goodwill. Everyone hoped for a long-term positive outcome. Unfortunately the cancer returned and this time treatment was not an option. Carol and Jack let Trevin go to the Bridge on October 7.

I'm sorry I never met Great Uncle Trevin. I think I could have learned a lot from him and maybe he would have even let me take a nap with Ducky. I'm sure we would have been good friends.

Chow for now.

Ross

P.S. Be sure to click on the photo with this DogBlog to see a slideshow of some of our favorite photos of Trevin.

Questions or comments for Ross? Send him an e-mail!

Would you like more information about Canine Companions for Independence or perhaps be a puppy raiser? Call 1-800-572-BARK or go to CCI for details.