He is sadly missed by Julie, me and our woofer gang. Thank you to everyone for your kind comments. 

Agility was the great love of Bilbo’s life.  He had a fantastic career, competing for ten seasons. Bilbo didn’t just attack courses – he devoured them and enjoyed every minute in the ring!  If I did nothing to impede him and he went clear, he was invariably placed.  It was unusual for us to return home without a trophy or rosette of some description, but the joy of seeing him in full flight would have been reward enough anyway.

I am still in shock after losing my best friend and agility partner. Benji was a one in a million dog and without him I would never have discovered agility. 

He was the best first agility dog I could have ever had. Reliable and honest he quite often got me out of trouble on the course. Although his stubborn streak meant catching him was a challenge when he finished his run and he would quite often continue into the next ring.

Storm was the best Agility dog I have ever had. He wasn't fast but we got a lot of clear rounds over the years, some just outside the time! But with a handler who couldn't run, he did very well.

We lost him in the night with bloat / torsion. He died before we could do any thing. He was okay when we went to bed (23.00) but jumped on my bed ay 1.10 and was bloated then. Though we got him to the vets straight away, it was too late.

Last year we had a brilliant year. He 'found' his contacts and I was running better. We never managed to get many placings nor to win out of G1 but he was great fun to run.

Six months later I started training him for agility. We never looked back.

Sad to announce that Agilitynet has lost one of its lovely agility dogs: Beau, our big white Standard Poodle, crossed Raimbow Bridge - very sudden, suspected brain tumour.

Lydia & Andrew Parry

I was given Candy when I was 12 years old. I remember rushing home after school to go see my little ball of fluff. You were the first dog I trained to do agility and I trained you myself. You were lots of hard work! When I was at school, my mum looked after you so I had a lot of trouble keeping you in the ring with me at shows. You were a pain! But I loved you for it.

Lenni, Rob, Sasha, Summer &  Ernie

Over the past couple of years, my Belgian Shepherd Dog Cal has endured the onset of spondylosis and paralysis affecting his front leg. Just recently the symptoms progressed to a level that triggered my decision to sadly have him put to sleep at home with me by his side (as always).

I stopped competing Mika at the age of nine for health reasons, and she enjoyed her next few years of retirement, accompanying us to shows and appeared more than happy not to have to leave the comfort of her bed to go running and jumping.

We have so many good memories of our special girl and although she is gone from our lives she will remain in our hearts for ever.

We had one last weekend to spend with our girl and I was able to have one last walk with her in the sunshine last Sunday.

 We love and miss you, Mika. Be nice to Sammy!

Teresa, Bob, Molly, Becky, Badger & Jack

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TOP HAT WHITE TAIL OF VALGRAY
'Kai'
1998-2013

Kai suffered a stroke on 5 September whilst running on Epsom Downs. He was then around 15 years old. 

John Kate, Suzie & Bree

It wasn't meant to be like this. I'd imagined you'd grow old gracefully and totter along at my side on our daily walks. But Aggressive Cancer had other ideas and in seven weeks flat.  You were such a fighter, so brave my beautiful girl. The kind vet visited and you went to sleep in your own bed, in your own home. You're reunited now with Sophie, Oscar, Jasmine and Ice. Guessing you’ll catch up with Molly. too.

Libby was my second agility dog although everyone says she was my 'one in a million.' For a short while, we were the ones in the queue that you would nudge each other and say watch them. She's fast. I lost count of the times people would come up to me and say that was such a shame she is lovely. We won countless Helter Skelter and she even got a 2nd place in a Novice class before finally winning out of Starters (Grade1-2) in 2007 at RVA.

Harvey was a flirt of the nicest kind. He loved human company, especially the ladies! He was such a charmer and loved the camera as such there are pictures of him worldwide including Canada, Australia, USA and Japan. The cracking photo our friend Dave Saunders took of Harvey enjoying his agility (above) has also featured on many websites and posters.

I have to announce the sad passing of Chelsea (aka Ag Ch Piquant Painted Sunshine). She was fine on Friday but was off her food at the weekend. It totally took us by surprise to find her dead in her bed on Monday morning. She died in her sleep which was a blessing albeit a terrible shock for us. I was lying quite close to her but didn't hear a thing so it must have been peaceful.

I feel very grateful to have had such a wonderful girl in my life. Her sense of humour and character were amazing. Her favourite thing at shows was to eye up other dogs and then try and nip their tails! She also used to bite my bum whilst walking to the Start Line on the agility courses.

She ruled the roost at home. If another dog was in her favourite bed, she would totally lie on top of them and, if they tried to move she would make it clear that that was totally unacceptable! They would have to stay there until she decided to get off!

Yes, she was also a fantastic agility dog. She taught me so much about motivation and how to cope with dogs that were nervous with things around the ring. I thought we would have a long retirement together but it was not to be. She was barely 12.

I don't know if other dogs achieved what she did at agility - I will list some of her achievements later - but most importantly she was a huge part of my family and will be greatly missed. Everyone knows she was my 'comfy slippers' at agility - just very comfortable running her and we felt like we were one when out on the course.

• She was the only small dog to win Olympia 4 times running.

• She won 16 Championship Tickets (Not sure if another dog has ever done that?)

• She won the Crufts Championship and Crufts Singles the same year as well as other years. 

• She came 5th and 6th at the FCI World Championships and competed most years at that event

• She won many medals for Team GB at the IFCS World Championships

• She won the British Open at Crufts

• The Poodle Team won the Crufts Team event

Can't believe I will never run her again. However, I am going to celebrate her life and try not to be too sad as she was such a fun-loving girl and, most importantly, she was well loved which a lot of dogs never get to experience in their lives. 

Dawn Weaver

As I am writing this, my heart is breaking. On Monday, 25 March 2013 I had to make the hardest decision ever and let my Shadow go. I knew that it was time to let him go when he could barely get up and go for his walks.

It was with great sorrow that we took our white Toy Poodle Skip on his final visit to the vet.

Rustler, our much loved Border Collie, died peacefully on Friday 8 March at home with us, just six weeks after having been diagnosed with lymphoma. We have had such fun times with him, visiting agility shows all around the country. He had a great love of football and would play all day and night if you let him. He loved watching tele and chasing the aeroplanes that flew over our garden. He was such a great character.

We are heart-broken and miss him so much.

Shannon came into my life just before her second birthday when I was recovering from cancer. For the past 10 years, she has been my soul-mate and constant companion, my playmate, my confidante and my second-in-command helping to bring up Bracken, Ree, Hobi and Isla.

From a little black lab terrified of brushes, hoses and being tied up (she screamed!), she became strong, loving and playful, enjoying doing obedience – although she would never do her heelwork on the same side as the judge! – field trials and above all agility. Though never really good at the last because she found the jumps very high for her little legs, she always gave of her best and loved nothing more than a good Any-size course with plenty of tunnels - especially when there was a tripe stick at the end.

Not everything she deemed edible agreed with her – and she will go down in history at Avenue Road Vets for her consumption of six and a half pounds of gravel! We will never know why but only two weeks after major surgery she was paddling happily in Cornwall.

She retired with early onset arthritis at age seven, apart from those occasional Any-size classes, and has been on the miracle drug Cartrofen for the past three years or so. Pain levels have been increasing of late and available medication didn't seem to be working.

Today (12 February) an X-ray showed the onset of bone cancer and possible metastasizing into her chest. When she came to me, I promised her she would never live a single day in pain. Today I have kept that promise.

Wait for me at Rainbow Bridge my little Shannon-shoops.

I love you and will remember you for ever.

We had to say a very sad goodbye on Wednesday, 13 February to our beautiful Big Boy. Rupert was a very proud Standard Poodle who lived his 14 years to the full. He come to live with us when he was nine weeks old, joining our three minis Hannah, Celene and Lucy and living the last five years with Paddy and JayJay.

SHANI PATTY PAWS AW(S)
'Shani'
5 December 2000 – 15 February 2013

It was with a very heavy heart that I had to make the hard decision to let my bestest girl Shani Patty Paws go to Rainbow Bridge on Friday, 15 February. She had been my loyal friend for the past 12 years.

Shani had spondylosis in the spine and had been coping well with a rear harness... her handbag! She was as bright as anything but last weekend she ate part of a toy and had x-rays. The toy came back okay but her legs suddenly decided not to work anymore. She was struggling to use her front legs so a decision had to be made.

She had come to us as a frightened puppy who was terrified of the world. Then she discovered Agility. It gave her such confidence and she has taught me a lot over the years. Her finest achievement was in 2009 at Dashin' Dogs where she had 19 runs in the week with a 6th, 7th, 9th, 10th, 11th and 13 clear rounds - only one pole down all week, and she was convinced that it was my fault! She finally retired from Anysize in 2011 but still wanted to go around the rings and see everyone.

Even though she had a problem with her back, she still wanted to go out and about so she was very happy when we found the harness ahd she could go for walks again.

On Wednesday, she went swimming and thoroughly enjoyed it, still as strong in the water. She went every week and was a super swimmer and she  Thank you Jenna at Canine Country Club for looking after her. As you said, she wrapped us around her paws with her beautiful brown eyes.

She was treated to chicken, beef stew and more chicken for her last days and just accepted that as her due! There was nothing else wrong with her which made the decision even harder but I could not let her suffer On Friday when the vet arrived, she just lay there and peacefully went to sleep.

She has bossed our four other dogs around, and they knew what she said was the law. She knew I had cancer and, after my op, just seemed to say 'Okay get on with life.'

She will be missed so much but will always be with me, laving me with a very big hole in my heart. I know she is only going around the next bend in the road, just out of sight.

RIP Shani. You can now run with all your old friends.

Margaret Goulden

DASHA IRISH CHARM
'Monty'
25 December 2001 - 10 February 2013

As some of you will know, we tragically lost my wonderful Monty on Sunday. He had been struggling for a few months now with a mystery illness and on Saturday he deteriorated very quickly. We managed to get an emergency appointment at the brilliant Fitzpatrick's Referrals on Sunday where they did an MRI scan which revealed he had two large masses growing on his spine as well as in his lungs. He was in a great deal of pain and clearly very distressed, and the only option was to put him to sleep.

We are all, as a family - Benji too - devastated by our loss. Monty was a dog a million. Hhe will never be forgotten. I have written below my favourite memories of him with, of course, details of his many and varied achievements.

He came home a few weeks later and he settled in straight away. We had a few teething problem like a lack of recall, bike / jogger chasing, ankle biting and barking. It soon became apparent that he needed to 'do' something.

*Just This Side of Heaven is a Place Called Rainbow Bridge

Petloss.com, is a gentle and compassionate website for pet lovers who are grieving over the death of a pet or an ill pet. Here you will find personal support, thoughtful advice, The Pets Candle Ceremony, Tribute Pages, healing poetry like Rainbow Bridge and much more.

 http://www.petloss.com/

Grief is the normal response to any important loss in life. Psychologists have long recognized that the grief suffered by pet owners after their pet dies is the same as that experienced after the death of a person. The death of a pet means the loss of a non-judgmental love source. Given time, healing will occur, but in the meantime give yourself permission to grieve - only you know what your pet meant to you - and surround yourself with people who understand your loss. If you've recently lost your 'best friend.' you can express your feelings with a tribute on Agilitynet. You are not alone.

Rainbow Bridge: Donald Vann