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My Life As Otto

Richard 9/5/48 - 7/31/09

As dogs, we rarely have to suffer the loss of a loved one. Today, I learned how humans feel all to often.

I have lost a dear friend. His name was Richard and he was a very special man. He died in a bike accident in the French Alps on Friday, but his family was only notified today.

We are in England and were planning to stay with Richard next weekend. Now we'll be going to his service instead. With my sensitive canine spirit, I weep silent tears for the friend with whom I shared such wonderful times. The walks along the headland at Port Issac, the visit to the Edan Project, Brighton, the Quantocks, the concerts and more pubs than I can name are just a few of the memorable times we spent in the short time we had together.

Life is fragile. Life is short. But we need to celebrate a life full of sharing, full of adventure and full of love.

Richard is survived by his his Mother, his brother Martin, his sister-in-law Helen and two nephews. The number of friends he has left behind is beyond counting. My family and I are among them.

Godspeed, Richard. You will always hold a special place in my heart - you were the only person who let me play with your cricket ball!

Walking for $s - "Changing Lives, One Dog At A Time"

*** HQ APPROVED ***

Greetings from the UK! We had a wonderful flight and a quick trip down to Somerset. We've all got jet lag, especially me. I wake mom up at 1 am since it's dinner time back home! Why won't she feed me?

I'm writing to ask your support by sponsoring me in the PADS "Walk and Roll for Independence." I'll be walking and mom will be rolling, but we'll be there trying to raise money for PADS.

For those who don't know, PADS! (Pacific Assistance Dogs) is my alma mater - mom says that means the school I graduated from. They train dogs like me to be service dogs for people with physical disabilities like mom. They also train dogs for people who are deaf or hearing impaired.

PADS is a not-for-profit, ADI (Assistance Dog International) member school. They get no government funding and the cost of a PADS dog to their eventual human is less than nominal. They breed, raise, train and place highly trained service and hearing dogs with money from donations and corporate grants. They even provide a two week 'team training' session for new teams. It has a large group of volunteers who help out with everything from puppy cuddling to kennel cleaning!

Some of the things Ive been trained to do to help mom are getting water for her from the 'fridge, picking up the many things she drops during the day, and bringing her meds at the right time. I open and close doors, turn lights on and off and answer the phone. I get the laundry out of the dryer and carry it to the bed so mom can fold it. I know over 100 commands and mom and I work on new ones all the time. Some are helpful and some just for fun.

We do presentations to many different groups of people, but our favorite audience is children. They not only learn about Service Dogs but about people with disabilities.

I have a great job!

That's why this fundraiser is so important. Without the support of our friends, it's really hard for PADS to raise the money it takes to train special dogs like me. The cost to train a service dog and his human partner is estimated to be $30,000 - $35,000! That's a lot of dog biscuits!

So, I'm asking all my friends to help me out. I know times are really tough these days; PADS knows it, too. If you're able to help me reach my goal, I would really appreciate it. A LOT! All you need to do is sponsor Otto! - it couldn't be easier.

Thanks in advance to one huge, generous group! You guys rock!!!

Big Brown Hugs,
Otto

Tag!

I was TAGGED by my famous friend, Teddi Sue *HOME* furever!

Seems like a new game of tag is going around! This one’s a little bit different so pay attention. BOL Don't forget to send a pawmail or a rosette to let your fur fiends know you've Tagged them and that they can find the rules in your Diary.


Name 4 jobs that you have:

1. I get clothing out of the dryer and carry it to the bed where I leave it so mom can fold it.

2. I answer the phone but I won’t screen calls! Actually, I bring the phone to mom when it rings or when mom asks me to. I know the difference between the regular phone and the cell phone.

3. I open and close doors, ring for the elevator and push the button to change the traffic light.

4. I get mom water or soda from the ‘fridge. More importantly, I get my baby carrots from the same place when I'm told. I just love that job!!!



Name 4 places you have lived at (or stayed at):

1. I lived with my puppy raising family in Vancouver, BC.

2. I spent almost six months at my school while I was doing my advanced training as a Service Dog.

3. I live in WA and Vancouver, BC.

4. I spent last summer in the UK!



Name 4 places that you have been:

1. Stonehenge!

2. Cannon Beach, OR. I LOVE OR!

3. The movies – any movie! It’s nice and dark and it smells like popcorn!

4. The library. It may be boring but it’s a personal favorite of mine.



Name 4 places you'd rather be:

1. Flying in business class on British Airways.

2. I love the beach.

3. The off-leash park is great.

4. My Bed. BOL



Name 4 furiends you wish to tag:

I would like to tag several of my good friends who are at the Bridge. They are all wonderful and well missed by us all!

1. Arthur

2. Sammy Jacob

3. Gracie Jane

4. Daisy


Have fun, every pup! Thanks for playing Tag with me!