Zandon's Butch Cassidy Carad, CD (Merridon's Jesse James CD x Canterbury's Sandia)

              
Cass

  

         

       

  

  

I began going to dog shows and obedience classes with my mom and my aunt when I was very young. I loved dogs and dog shows so much that by the time I was 6, I was begging my mom to lie about my age so I could enter Junior Showmanship at fun matches. I was content showing their Samoyeds for while, and then I decided I needed my own show dog.

  

I got Cass for my 7th birthday. He didn’t turn out to be of show quality, but he was my obedience dog, my junior showmanship dog, and my very best friend.

  

     

       The best birthday present EVER!!

  

I did all of Cass's training and grooming by myself, and when I was 10 years old, Cass and I got his Companion Dog obedience title with 3 straight Qualifying Scores.  He had absolutely no interest in holding anything in his mouth, so we never got his CDX.  We did Junior Showmanship at all the matches and we won Best Junior Handler together quite a few times.
    
Cass got a little arthritic, hard of hearing, and his eyesight suffered as he got older because of PPM, but he was always healthy otherwise and just happy to be loved. Then he developed a cancerous tumor on his top lip. It got so big he couldn't eat comfortably, and at his age it just wasn't safe to do surgery or cancer treatments.
    
The hardest day of my life was taking Cass to his last vet visit. I was with him until the end, and I still get tears in my eyes when I think about hugging him as he took his last breath. He was 16 ½ years old -- he had been with me from elementary school through college. And now, every time I take another dog into the show ring, he is still with me.
    

"The one best place to bury a good dog is in the heart of his master."

    - Ben Hur Lampman

   

  

Baby Cass, March 1984

Smaller than the water bowl!

Dressed up like Milli Vanilli for Halloween

  

Cass and I winning Best Junior Handler

Edinboro, PA - 1986

Our 3rd qualifying score  -  new CD!

Nita-Nee Kennel Club  -  7/18/1987

        

    

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