December 22, 2000 – August 16, 2011
With a heavy heart and tears in our eyes we had to say good-bye to our special girl Onyx. She succumbed to a fast-growing and aggressive form of carcinoma on Tuesday, August 16th. She passed away at home, lying in her favorite corner of the sofa with her head in my lap. Our sincere thanks to Dr. Donohue for helping Onyx to make her trip to the Rainbow Bridge in such a peaceful and dignified way.
Portuguese Water Dog Onyx was Valkyrie’s Black Onyx CDX NA NAJ RN CGC TDIA. When I first saw Onyx as a four-week-old pup at her breeder’s home, she locked eyes with me and wouldn’t look away. I felt then that she picked me as her future mom. I was ecstatic when she became mine.
Onyx was a wonderful companion to me throughout her life. We enjoyed many years of obedience, agility, and therapy dog work together. During the past few years, when my hearing diminished, she also became my service dog. She loved to please and did everything with enthusiasm. My husband Alvaro and I were devastated when we were informed the morning of August 16th that the malignant tumors in her abdomen would probably take her life within days. Onyx was quite ill by then, so we made the decision to save her from further suffering and to let her go in peace that very evening.
We miss Onyx so very much, the house is empty without her. She has immeasurably enriched our lives as well as those of others whom she visited over the years in hospitals and nursing homes. She has served me faithfully as my hearing dog. I know I will meet her again at the Rainbow Bridge, where she probably is playing now with her ‘sister’ Lali and all the other friends she made during her rewarding life.
Ilse de Granda