CH Marymore Banner Gabriel’s Choice
5/5/2005 – 2/2/2019
(CH Hullabaloo Alchymist x CH Marymore First Triple Axel)
That was our much-loved Gabby. Oh, she was a happy, charming puppy, the California girl who always looked on in wonder at the “cold white rain,” a hoot as a youngster with a glorious coat in the show ring, a great mom. But in late middle age, she took on the persona of a “you kids get off my lawn” old fart. We joked her motto was “Only the good die young…I’m living to 18.”
But after 13 years and 8 months, it was the day the candle in our wonderful vet’s office was lit for us.
It had been the better part of a decade since we faced saying good bye to one of our own. We’d held many owners’ hands in the interim, giving them advice and listening to them. We said all the right things we believed: better a week too soon than a day too late, don’t let their last day be their worst day. That experience didn’t make it any easier when it was our Gabby.
In those conversations, we also thanked all those owners for giving such good homes to those puppies whose first breaths were taken in our hands.
Every dog comes with a cast of characters…
Mary Peltier, her breeder who was willing to let us have her, even though I wasn’t her “real friend Pam”
Anna Kutsukos Marzolino, who made that happen
Gabriel Rangel, who decided she was the one
Meg Ryan, who got her from CA to the East Coast
Ernesto Lara and Andrew Green, who both showed her a few times and found her as comical as we did…and eager for liver
Carl McGill and Molly O'Connell, whose dogs were her "Mr. Wonderfuls", making some pretty puppies
Barbara Miller who made her BOS at the Veterans' Sweepstakes, her last time in the ring and first she ever behaved for me!
Kelly Sinnott Vrettos and her family with whom she stayed a few times and who couldn’t wait for this "crusty" old girl to come for more visits
Our wonderful vet, Dr. Kurt Blaicher, and his staff for making an awful day more bearable.
Thank you all.
We didn’t love Gabby in spite of her crankiness. We loved her for it and for every minute of her life….and give us a magic wand and every owner’s experience would be like ours with Gabby.
