A lot of people knew
Peter but most did not know a lot about him.
Everyone knew one part of him and it was always only that part he chose to
reveal. Peter was a very private person and, although most of us met him
wayyyyyyy back when he was showing his Abby, it was only when he joined a small
group of Golden folk who were concerned about the number of pet Goldens being
discarded and the never-ending supply from the mills that we got to see that
*Golden* part of Peter shine.....
He was a guiding light and helped that small group of people become Secours
Golden Retriever Rescue Quebec in 1995-1996. Peter took on the role as treasurer
and kept the Rescue books from the very beginning. He deposited donations and
paid vet bills (more of the latter unfortunately), he sold collars and leashes
and had our little keychain/dog tags made, he answered innumerable phone calls,
he fostered dogs when he could and he kept Rescue afloat.
Early on in the Quebec Rescue we all got a call about a mill that was shutting
down and all the adult dogs were to be turned over to Rescue. In a little convoy
of cars and vans the group drove down to the South Shore to pick up the dogs.
Two male stud dogs and all of the brood females were housed in a barn adjacent
to the farm house. The dogs' owner had just bought the house and property and
the old owner "threw in" the dogs as a good side business, luckily the new owner
had one litter and decided it was too difficult. He signed over all of the dogs
(unlike most rescues these were CKC registered!) and accompanied us over the
kennel. One by one we moved the dogs from their runs to the crates in the back
of our vans. As we loaded the last few dogs our attention focused on one sad
little female who would not come out of the barn that had been her home all of
her life. We cajoled her, offered her treats, everything and anything but her
fear of the "outside" was too great and she cowered and crawled back to the
darkness of the barn.Finally we managed to get the terrified dog out of her run
and Peter stepped calmly up to her, hoisted her into his arms and strode over to
the waiting van. I think there is a picture somewhere with Peter walking across
the driveway with poor little Belle, it is a scene recreated over and over again
in rescue and it set the tone for our group.
Peter and his "golden girls" also visited hospitals and whenever he found out a
fellow dog person had a new puppy he leapt on the chance to treat his "clients"
to the joys and energy of such innocence and *cuteness*. The joy on the
patients' faces when that little ball of fluff trotted into the room was
touching. Peter was compassionate, gentle and caring with the patients and even
though he would admonish them for slipping Possum another Arrowroot biscuit and
contributing to her waistline he knew they had saved those cookies just for this
occasion and pretended not to see the next three being slipped under the sheets
to his eager Golden girl.
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Peter was our SANTA! For years he sat with a numb bottom on an uncomfortable
chair (or on the bags of kibble I piled up ;-) smiling at growling or slobbering
or exuberant or terrified dogs and cats and children. Back then we would do
three or four Santa picture sessions and sometimes it was only Peter and the
photographer.......both of whom could barely move the following day!!!! Peter
never complained about the heat, or the seat or the bird poop....he simply
smiled for the camera. |
Peter was an AKC Tracking judge and was willing to help any and all if they even
made a peep about considering learning how to track. Getting out early and
laying a trail then working Abby, Possum or Libby on it later seemed to energize
him although it tended to leave the occasional student floundering over felled
trees, tangled in rough brush, or up to their knees in black forest mud. Peter
loved field training with his girls but Possum liked "dunking" the bird more
than retrieving.
Peter stayed quiet about his illness, few people even knew he was sick. And
although some knew he was fighting very few knew just how hard that battle was.
In the Fall he traveled down to judge the tracking test at the annual Golden
Retriever Club Of America's Specialty, truly he must have been honoured and
excited! Not only did he judge he also tracked with Libby and came within a hair
of completing the test.
We will miss Peter, a quiet man with a heart of Gold..and he will be "Always
golden".
