Gabby and my dad

This is my darling Gabby, a white German Shepherd, at age 7 weeks, in my apartment when I lived in Lexington, Kentucky. My dad was old and almost deaf and lived alone in a cabin in the country with a huge fenced yard in North Carolina. I raised Gabby to age 6 months, trained her perfectly, but she was so smart she was an easy train. The first night i had her, I closed her in the kitchen, the only room not carpeted, but I couldn't stand her whimpers. I took my quilt and pillow and went and slept on the kitchen floor with her. She held it all night and went to the bath room the next morning as soon as I set her on the grass. From that day on she slept in my bed with me. She never had an accident in the house. When she was ready I gave her as a gift to my dad although it broke my heart. She lived with him 12 years. They bonded so closely. She never forgot me or stopped loving me. When I went to visit, she was all over me. Dad said she could hear my car and recognized its sound several minutes before I reached his driveway.

What a pair they were, taking long walks together, doing everything together. She was his ears, letting him know whenever anyone came to see him, letting him know when his opossum traps snapped shut and caught a 'possum. She was afraid of thunderstorms and Dad lost a girlfriend because of this. If it began to thunder while he was on a date, he would excuse himself and go home to comfort and be with Gabby through the storm. She adored him. She came back to stay with me for a while once and spent every day looking out the window she had seen him drive away from. I took her home as soon as possible. They were joyous at being reunited.

When she died, he went into a deep depression, had to be hospitalized, and was released to assisted living. He was so devastated that, when he had her cremated, he couldn't bear to bring her ashes in from the car. I has the ashes of my beloved Bo and Duke, so told Dad that Gabby could come and stay with them and if he ever wanted her back, I'd bring her to him. She's still on my bedroom dresser with the other two.

Dad really couldn't get along with people, never talked baby talk to me, but God how he loved this dog. I truly believe there was an angel living inside her. Now Dad is gone too and though it hurt, I am so glad I gave him his 12 wonderful years with his best friend.