As many of you know, we’ve been spending a few days in Ilan for a very brief family holiday – specifically, to go to the International Children’s Folk Games Festival (although I did manage to squeeze in a couple hypnosis sessions as well). While we have been away, we left the cats with a bunch of extra food and put our husky, Goldie, in a boarding arrangement at a local pet shop.

On the way home today, we got a phone call on the cell and Lorraine pulled over to the side of the highway to talk. I could tell something was wrong from Lorraine’s vocal tones . . . only to be confirmed when she burst into tears.

Goldie passed away while we were on the way home. Evidently, she passed out and did not awaken . . . so, evidently, she did die peacefully without pain.

The folks at the pet store were very upset with themselves and feel awful that our dear family member passed away under their care. However, Lorraine assured them that we do not blame them for this unfortunate event. Goldie was an old dog and suffered from a number of ailments . . . she was epileptic, mostly deaf, mute, arthritic, and had liver function problems. While she was certainly in much better shape when we left her in the care of the boarding pet shop, she still had a number of issues. Goldie had been recovering quite well until we went on our trip to Kenting when we left her in the care of the folks who were her caregivers prior to us adopting her. Unfortunately, she turned for the worse in our absence at that time and for the past couple months had been getting progressively worse. The pet folks telephoned us earlier in our trip to let us know that she was not eating although the laoban was handfeeding her. Lorraine thinks the progressive decline she’s been undergoing on top of the separation anxiety took their toll and she may have simply given up the will to live.

Lorraine had worked with Goldie a lot and had been loving her and nurturing her just as anyone would a cherished family member so this has come as quite a psychic shock to her.

See more photos of Kaye and Goldie in happier healthier times here.