In Memory of My Girls

My life has been forever changed, I can honestly say that tears are shed each and every day. My thoughts are always with them and my heart is still in pieces and it will never be the same as it was before July 11, 2003.

To avoid others, possibly heartaches, I am telling you my story today.

Weimaraners have been a part of my life for almost 8 years. Started with Grayce, Shabri’s Southern Grayce. I did my research and found a great breeder who showed and did field work, one that was willing to place a puppy as a pet only… Little did I know that I would have become this involved in competing with my dogs today! I always tell everyone that if Grayce hadn’t come first, into my heart and home, if she hadn’t been such a wonderful example of the breed, there would not have been a second, Miller and a third, Rachel.

Grayce had her moments, chewing a dinner plate sized hole in my grandmothers handmade quilt and she suddenly turning into a trash hound at 3 years old and went on to become an excellent food thief from unsuspecting peoples plates, her favorite item was my pumpkin cheesecake! No, Grayce wasn’t perfect, she hadn’t earned any great titles, and had just started retrieving birds…but she was as close to perfect as any Weimaraner will ever get in my heart.

Grayce introduced me to a world, which I have found many friends in, she was a great welcoming wagon to the many rescue dogs that found their way to me. She was my daughters “B” Match juniors dog, patiently allowing her to stack her when Abbie was only 6 years old and barely as tall as she was…She taught Miller to behave even when he didn’t want to and they miss her just as much as I do.

She slipped away, while I wasn’t around. Maybe she’d heard me tell people, that I couldn’t stand the thought of losing her, that maybe I’d be lucky enough to come home one day and she will have gone in her sleep, peacefully…that would be Grayce, thinking of everyone else. But I shouldn’t have lost her this soon, we’d just started entering as a Veteran.

Rachel, was my baby, my Princess Rachel, Queen of her world. She was one of 11 puppies in my first and only litter, she was Grayce’s niece.

She started out in this world as Orange Girl…she was labeled the “F U” puppy during their temperament tests…Debby pinched…and counted to 10… no response… she flipped her over, Rae stared right back and when released strutted away, you just knew what she was saying. She took no crap from anyone and wouldn’t honor you with her presence & love if you hadn’t earned it.

After finding out what a “special” temperament she had, I couldn’t and wouldn’t risk sending her to live with someone who couldn’t handle that. So she stayed and became Rachel, Shabri’s Gonna Get You TD.

She was Abbie’s little sister. She stood in for Miller in Juniors when she was needed. She was my first Bred By Exhibitor class entry. She recently earned RWB to a major from the Bred By Class. We were on our way.

Rachel and I entered the tracking world and she became the first puppy in the PB&J litter to earn an AKC title. We successfully certified and earned her TD title at an early age, both on the first try, both in horrible weather conditions. She was very methodical, we also did very well during our first attempts at our TDX and VST tests and this Fall we were going to start trying again for those…the premiums have been coming in the mail, but my partner is gone.

After a long tear filled night, I lost my girls on Friday, July 11, 2003. The police labeled what happened as property damage and when my neighbors simply denied having anything to do with what happened, even though I had two witnesses, the police quickly ended their investigation. The Missouri Conservation Department deemed the chemical that killed them both, not hazardous enough to warrant an investigation, even though over 10,000 dogs are killed by it each year and it took less than 2 tsp to ensure the death of my girls. This needs to change.

My message to you today is, please be aware of the danger of Ethylene Glycol (antifreeze), I knew it’s danger, and I have been amazed to find out just how many people are not aware. My neighbors who I suspect are negligent are from Yugoslavia, they speak very little or no English and either are not aware of what their actions did or just don’t care. If it was intentional or accidental, I’ll probably never find out. Does it matter? The outcome will always be the same.

My girls suffered through un-coordination, nausea, seizures, kidney failure, coma and death. Grayce passed on her own and I had to make the decision for Rachel after finding out that there was nothing that anyone could do.

Please don’t assume anything with regards to your dog’s safety and health. My girls were never seriously ill a day in their lives. They were poisoned in my own fenced backyard. I never suspected that they were in danger in their own yard.

Rachel was mis-diagnosed when I took her in on Thursday afternoon. Don’t take the vets initial diagnosis as gospel, especially when it’s preceded by “We see this in Weimaraners all the time”! Had I insisted on the test that I wanted, it wouldn’t have made any difference in my girls’ outcome…it was too late. But they most likely wouldn’t have had to suffer as long as they did.

Demand what you want done, don’t take no for an answer. Tell everyone that you know that has dogs, cats or small children about the danger of Ethylene Glycol (antifreeze) poisoning. I wouldn’t wish what I’ve been through on my worse enemy.

Did you know and do you have:

While the immediate thought is anti-freeze only comes from cars… another source of antifreeze are the decorative "snow globes" glassware. The liquid in the these displays contain 2% antifreeze and are very toxic.

Symptoms of antifreeze poisoning include a drunken appearance including staggering, lack of coordination, and apparent disorientation and vomiting. The animal may appear listless and depressed. Because early signs of antifreeze poisoning often mimic signs of other illness, neither you or your veterinarian may suspect antifreeze poisoning until it is too late. Don’t think because your dogs weren’t exposed to it, in your yard, that they couldn’t have gotten any… Sick people soak food in it, set bowls of it out to intentionally kill animals.

One step owners can take to prevent a potential tragedy from befalling their pets is to use a less-toxic propylene-glycol-based antifreeze in the car. Propylene glycol, on the other hand - although not entirely nontoxic - is considerably less toxic than ethylene glycol. These products do provide an added margin of safety in the event of accidental ingestion. However, it still can cause death if a large amount is ingested. In addition, the metals in your cooling system that corrode or dissolve into your antifreeze can also be harmful. For this reason, motorists should always exercise caution when using any type of antifreeze product.

If your standard practice is to take your car to a mechanic for its winter preparations, be sure to ask specifically for a propylene-glycol-based antifreeze. (But be prepared to pay a little more.)

There are several nationally available propylene- glycol antifreezes on the market, including:

Sierra (Safe Brands Corp., 1-800-289-7234)

Sta-Clean (Sta-Clean Products, 1-800-825-3464

Prestone LowTox® Antifreeze/Coolant-available at most automotive stores and departments

A number of regional companies also offer propylene-glycol antifreeze in regional markets or in bulk quantities.

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Always keep this number on your refridgerator! National Poison Control Center, 800-548-2423

Those we have held in our arms for a little while we hold in our hearts forever.