Old Friends who are dearly missed

Rainbow Bridge, our old friends

The below poem was written by the Poet Lord Byron,upon the death of his beloved dog Botswain.

When some proud son of man returns to earth,
Unknown to glory, but upheld by birth,
The sculptor's art exhausts the pomp of woe,
And storied urns record who rests below;
When all is done, upon the tomb is seen,
Not what he was, but what he should have been.
But the poor dog, in life the firmest friend,
The first to welcome, the foremost to defend,
Whose honest heart is still his master's own,
Who labors, lives, fights, breathes for him alone,
Unhonored falls, unnoticed all his worth,
Denied in heaven the soul he held on earth.
While man, vain insect, hopes to be forgiven,
And claims himself a sole, exclusive heaven.
Ye! Who behold, perchance, this simple urn,
Pass on; it honours none you wish to mourn.
To mark a friend's remains these stones rise,
I have never known but one - and here he lies.

This is Emma, or Radmillane Bon Vivant At Katelands, 1992 - 2004. Bred by Joan Lawrence, she was by Ch Varstock Voyager of Roxberg out of Radmillane Khalalusa. She was our 1st Weimaraner and the start of Katelands. She was a super dog who loved being shown and would play with her ball all day. She came 3rd at Crufts in 1993, and 2nd at Crufts in 1994.
She was the half-sister of our weimaraner Jade, and was a much loved family member.

Radmillane Pandora at Katelands
Jade
Born 28/05/1995
Sire: Khamsynn Cardinal Synn
Dam: Radmillane Khalalusa.
Jade came to live with us in 1995. Again bred by Joan Lawrence she was a beautiful girl who loved to swim, run on the field, sit in the car and be driven everywhere and eat. Food was her passion in life.
She won many first places at Championship level and won a Reserve Challenge Certificate in 1998, 6 months after giving birth to her first litter.
She had 3 litters, and was a fantastic mother to all her puppies. She was fantastic around children and was doted on by my daughter who used to lie next to her watching t.v.
She slipped away at 2am Boxing Day morning 2007. We have named our new puppy Christmas Spirit in her honour, as at the exact time she left us Alice went into labour. We are sure she is still with us and will live on in our new puppy, who is her great neice.
We say all our dogs are special, but she can never be replaced.

Katelands Carina

Sire : Gunalt Harris Tweed
Dam: Radmillane Pandora at Katelands.
Bn May 1997
Tragically lost June 2001
Lucy was born in our first litter.
She was an amazing dog, winning 17 Best Puppy in Breeds on the trot.
In 1999 she won the Special Puppy Bitch class at Crufts 1999 and crowned it by taking the Best Puppy Title. She went on to win a Best in Show, a Reserve Best in Show, Many Group Placings and Best of Breeds at Open level. She is buried in our garden under an Almond Tree, and she is still greatly missed.

This is Max, our first service dog. He lived with us for 3 years, but retired from active duty early due to injury. He went to live with a retired dog handler in Tenerife, who had opened a bar on the beach. Max had many wonderful years sitting on the beach being fussed by all the customers. There are many people who went back to the island again and again just to say hello to him, and there were probably more photographs taken of him than beach and sea ones!
He was our introduction to working trials, something which my husband
now has a passion for, competing with his current German Shepherds Ned and Kaiser.
He sadly slipped to sleep in 2007 aged 10.

This is Tynsil the Lion King at Katelands J.W, or Milo. He was our first German Wirehaired Pointer. Bred by Barbara Stamp, he was an amazing dog with whom we had much success in the show ring, and who introduced us to the working side of owning a gundog. He was the 3 day overall winner of the Bannerdown Stakes Class Paignton Championship Show 2002.
He was awarded a RCC, and still holds the title of the YOUNGEST JUNIOR WARRANT WINNER to date in GWP'S.
He won a Best Puppy In Show after winning the Gundog Puppy Group at his First ever show, and won at Crufts in 2003. He produced fantastic puppies who have their father's brains and beauty.