~Toni & Ivor Malin-Vale

My Freckles, the light of my life, passed on the morning of 8/20/2013 after suffering a second severe seizure which was thought to be the result of a brain tumor.  Freckles had the first seizure completely out of the blue 5 weeks earlier.  Freckles had always been in the best of health, so the seizure was a complete shock to us.  Sadly the day before he passed, he was also diagnosed with Osteosarcoma (bone cancer) of his left rear leg.  My brave boy must have been in pain for some time, but hid it well as dogs do, because they don’t want to worry us.

Freckles was adopted from a MD rescue at 4 years old.  He came from a broken home and spent his short time at the foster home where he was a favorite, waiting at the gate for his family to come back for him.  He even jumped over their fence once or twice, but was always found and returned.
We were looking for a perfect dog to adopt and of course we found that in Freckles.  Technically, Freckles was my husband’s dog as he always wanted a German Shorthaired Pointer or a Mix.  Anyone who knows Pointers also know that they are highly energetic and excitable, thankfully Freckles was the exception to the rule, although he could give the rabbits and squirrels a run for their money when he could be bothered to chase them!
From when he was adopted, Freckles was always the sweetest, loving, loyal and most laid back dog.  Freckles also had the deepest soulful eyes, which when you looked into them made you feel loved and protected.  He had such a wonderful temperament and was ideally suited to therapy work.

Freckles joined KPETS in 2009 and we started visiting a local nursing and retirement community where he was dearly loved by the residents.  In 2010, Freckles started a reading program at a local library where he was extremely popular with the children and their parents.  Freckles always enjoyed receiving treats and belly rubs after the children had finished reading their stories.  We were still visiting the library once a month until Freckles had his first seizure and sadly I had to retire him.
Freckles would have been 10 years young at the end of September and was taken from me much, much, too soon.  Freckles had so much more living and loving to do here on earth, but our Lord needed him more in heaven to bring joy and love to everyone there and also to help ‘clean’ the kitchen counters, as one of his many unique talents was ‘counter surfing’.  Freckles would actually climb up on our kitchen counters and walk along looking for tasty morsels to eat; we actually caught him once or twice!

I would like to share a poem which was written by the library in celebration of Freckles’s special friendship with them.

 

“Our beloved Freckles, our faithful friend,

your love you shared till the very end.

For many years we all were blessed,

now it’s time for you to rest.

You still live on in the hearts and minds,

of the loving friends you left behind”.

“Freckles visited us here for three years, being a sweetheart, a best friend, and a most attentive listener to

many of our children. We will miss him”.

Freckles was and still is my ‘soul’ dog and we have a very strong spiritual bond which transcends this current physical existence and I am comforted to know that I will see him again soon at the Rainbow Bridge.  Freckles will be waiting for me as my self appointed protector and guardian; to ‘show me the ropes’ in heaven and always be by my side.

Freckles leaves behind his best friend Sophie; Edmond; Sugar; Lara and Freddie.”

RIP our Angel boy; Mummy & Daddy miss you and we will see you soon. xxxx