On January 2, 2013 we had to say goodbye to our female rough coat collie Maui.

She was a rescue. We got her as a companion for our then young male rough coat collie Buddy.   We went to the Providence Animal Rescue to look at some dogs we had seen online.  I hoped to find another collie but didn’t think it was going to happen.   As we walked through the doors there was a couple with a rough coat collie they were giving up due to a move.  They told us her name was Maui.  She was a 4 year female rough coat collie, just what I’d hope for!  After introducing the 2 dogs we took her home.

She was afraid of the car and didn’t want to get in, after putting her in the car she shook all the way home!  She had other curious behaviors.  We have 6 stairs going up to our living room.  Before she could go up or down those stairs she had to perform at least 1 circle sometimes 2 or 3!  Whenever she left the kitchen, her favorite room in the house because it contained cheese, she had to walk out backwards!  Even if she was facing the right way she’d make a 1/2 circle point her rear end at the door and start walking backwards until she got into the hallway where she’d turn and walk right!  She was a very good dog that liked human company more than canine, which was unfortunate considering why we got her in the face place.   She got over her fear of the car after a few trips to the dog park.  She loved to be able to run free which she could do in a 4 acre dog park!   When asked if she wanted to go to the dog park she’d blot to the car and sit there waiting to be let in.   She never got over her circles or backwards exits.  The last few weeks she was so disorientated that we had to lead her of the kitchen out on a leash.

Maui and Buddy would lay down in the in front yard in the same position kind of back to back, we called them our collie bookends.  Buddy just stopped looking for Maui this week.  He must miss her more than we do.  We’d like to get another older dog for Buddy who is 10 years old now but we just can’t afford 4 dogs anymore.  We also have 2 small terriers a Yorki and a mix, the mix is a rescue with more energy than the sun!

As hard as it is to say goodbye I wouldn’t trade those times and memories for anything!

— Jordan from Hope Valley, RI