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Ode to Shanti

Ode to Shanti
When we picked her out from the litter in Geeveston, she had two extra toes and a tumour, and lived in a house where a possum slept in a bed. A black ball of fluff, I took her with me everywhere, forest rallies, work, you name it, until she started eating peoples lunches. Then she stayed in Franklin while I was at work, cowering from the wedge tailed eagle that would circle above. Along with Al and I, she moved from the snow to the Simpson Desert. People out there had never seen such a woolly dog, but she loved poking her nose in every spinifex bush and sleeping next to us in our swags. She was a loyal companion i was very grateful for- I would call her shadow, for how she would never leave my side. Coming back to Tasy, she gravitated between watching Al build the house, and following me around in the shed. She accepted three children into her home, and then another raucous puppy, Bella. Her retirement was dignified as ever, dragging roadkill off Huon Road for as long as she could manage it. Her end at 14 years was peaceful, and very sad. She was well loved, and lived well.