"Fly"
Ceramic Paw Print Portrait
with Paw Print Impression on Reverse-side
Custom-made by Paw Prints with a Purpose
Fly's Retirement Plan
shared with us by Lynn Solomon, Fly's devoted owner
We finally relented after years of pleading and begging from our youngest daughter. After coming home with a Christmas wish entitled “I Will Never Stop Dreaming of a Dog”, my husband and I decided we would welcome a canine into our home for our daughter’s ninth birthday.
We knew an adult dog would be the right choice for us as we were already juggling two cats, three rabbits and two children. When I mentioned our dog-quest to a friend, she implored us to take one of her dogs, and this was a dog we already knew and liked. My friend had added a newer, bigger German Shepherd to their home and keeping the two separated was becoming more difficult.
Our soon-to-be-doggie was named Fly, a black and white Border Collie named after the mother dog in the movie, Babe the Pig. For us, he became our Flyboy.
The long awaited day came for us to bring Fly to is new home. Without delay, he let us snap on a leash and jumped into our car. Once home, Fly only had eyes for our three outdoor rabbits. A herder by design, Fly assumed the role of protector of our bunnies. Herding them was made easy by the fact that they were contained in a hutch, but that did not diminish Fly’s enthusiasm and instinct to guard them from lurking predators.
Each morning Fly would clamor to get outside to see his bunnies. He would skulk down to the cage, crouching to make certain none of them would escape. After circling the hutch a few times, he would settle down in guard mode and lay by the cage until summoned back inside. The mere mention of “the bunnies” would send Fly to the door to check on his flock. At the age of nine, Fly finally had the chance to be a working dog as generations of Border Collies had worked before him.
Fly was equally good at therapy work. Led by our daughter, he passed his Canine Good Citizen Test with flying colors and spent the next 2 years visiting his fellow seniors at local assisted living facilities. Fly was pleased to be accompanied by his beloved bunnies on these visits as they aced their Good Citizen Tests as well. The quintet of three rabbits, one dog and a small girl entering through the door brought grins and laughter to all who witnessed the unusual visitors. Once inside, Fly sat patiently and waited for petting while the rabbits really stole the show with the residents.
Like many heroes, Fly’s time was cut short too soon. A combination of hip dysplasia and arthritis through his spine created enough nerve damage to end his life just before his twelfth birthday. We know Fly’s years in retirement with us were ones he truly enjoyed. He is missed terribly by his family and our remaining pets. We are confident that he is now in doggie heaven herding rabbits to his heart’s content.
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