[nagdu] Rest in peace, Echo, April 17, 1995 - May 4, 2012

[Pickrell, Rebecca M (TASC)]

Tracy,
I'm so sorry about Echo.

Don't have much more to say, just know that I'm thinking of you.

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Hannah Chadwick
Sent: Saturday, May 05, 2012 12:31 PM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Rest in peace, Echo, April 17, 1995 - May 4, 2012

Tracy,
I am very sorry to hear about your loss. I'm sure she is in a happy place as
you said. I liked reading about all the things you both did together.
Sending thoughts your way, hannah
-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Tracy Carcione
Sent: Saturday, May 05, 2012 8:06 AM
To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
Subject: [nagdu] Rest in peace, Echo, April 17, 1995 - May 4, 2012

Rest in peace, Echo, April 17, 1995 - May 4, 2012

We had to put Echo to sleep yesterday.  Her arthritis had gotten very bad,
and she seemed to

be uncomfortable more and more, so we called the vet to come.  We found a
vet who makes

house calls, and they've been taking care of Echo for the last year or so.
 It was good that

Echo could lie in one of her favorite places, at home, and die in peace.
We are very sad.  I thought I was ready, but I wasn't.  I keep listening for
her, and

walking around the places she used to lie.
My husband did a lot to take care of her, and it leaves a big empty space in
his life, too.

He was wonderful with her, very patient with all the old dog problems and
quirks.

While I was looking through my file to write down her death date, I found an
entry I'd made

after the first NFB convention I attended with Echo, in New Orleans.  It was
just a few

months after we'd met, and I wasn't sure she'd be able to cope with it, but
she did great!

Echo's specialty was remembering places we'd been before.  She was great at
finding the

right elevator bank.  Once, I'd had breakfast at a table off a big corridor.
Later that

day, I got turned around somehow after a meeting and was looking for the
elevator, but not

giving Echo good directions, so she started showing me places we'd been,
trying to hit on

the right one.  She showed me the table where I'd had breakfast, and I
recognized where we

were and gave her the right directions at last.
She was a soft dog who needed a bit of cheerleading, but, so long as she
knew I had

confidence in her and appreciated her, she could do anything.
I remember, at that same convention in New Orleans, we took a carriage ride.
We thought my

husband would have to lift Echo up into the carriage, but she climbed the
ladder like it was

the most natural thing in the world.
When we first got back from training, we had some problems, but GDB sent
someone out, and,

in about 45 minutes, he figured out the tiny thing I was doing wrong,
straightened me out,

and we were good from then on.  We did a lot of travelling together; Echo
had a lot of miles

under her paws.  She worked until she was eleven and a half, then she had a
long, happy

retirement.
Like my husband says, we will be lucky if we have as good a life as she did.
And to have

people to love and care for us up to the end.  She always did her best for
us, and we did

our best for her. Sadly, the last thing we could do for her was give her a
peaceful ending.

Now she's in the happy hunting ground, chasing rabbits and squirrels like
she used to, and

stealing tomatoes. My parents are there, so they can give her a belly rub.
 And she can wag

her tail again.  When her back end got bad, she couldn't really wag like she
used to.
Good-bye, old gal. We miss you.
Tracy



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