EDNA- My soulmate and gate keeper. Now my guardian Angel. Edna was one of the most amazing things that has ever happened in my life. I came back to Australia, from living overseas. My wish list was simple. I want a dog that needs some love and a car that can fold down to a double bed. It was my sister’s landlord that made a call to my sister by mistake, asking her “if she had gotten rid of those dogs yet?” She was meant to be calling another tenant. But my sister asked questions and asked for the other tenants number, then proceeded to bombard me with calls and texts( I was on a road trip in Queensland) to come and meet this dog who was one of those wrinkly Rolly Shar Pei dogs called Edna.. I was adamant I didn’t want a rolly dog that has mouldy skin etc . My sister wouldn’t let up so to placate her I said yes and we organised a meeting.
Well we showed up, they had to go and get her form another house, she got placed in the loungeroom and started shaking horribly and looking at the ground, she was so petrified. I have never seen such a scared dog. My agreement with my sister was if she comes to me or chooses me then it’s meant to be. Well that all went out the window as the guy picked her up and literally threw her in the back of my car with a bowl and a bed. I was in shock and had to drive to the nearest supermarket to get supplies. Talking to her the whole way. She was as stunned as me. We got back to my Dads house and she ran straight under the house and started shaking again. I was mortified and didn’t know what to do. My sister and partner came over and drove her out from under the house, this is the first and only time I saw her bare her teeth. I told them to leave and said she will come in her own time, we got a long lead on her that night, and I slept in the yard. I had some chicken with me but she wasn’t interested, I sat there in the yard for 3 more days, only getting up to go to the toilet, get food and drink & another book to read. On the fourth day I had the chicken in my hand behind my back and I felt her come over and nuzzle it out of my hand, very gently. I didn’t move, but asked my Dad to get some more. From that day onwards we had a connection. I never pushed her and let her do things only on her terms. In fact a few weeks had passed, and Dad and I were having the most serious conversation we had ever had, about whether I was doing the right thing, as Edna really was so very damaged. In that moment she came running around the corner and gave us both the biggest play bow you have ever seen. From then I knew everything would be absolutely fine!
Even though she was quite nervous around people as she had obviously been abused. She loved all other animals and they loved her, from miniature horses to cats.
She also hated water, I had a drizabone made for her and used to take her outside with an umbrella to go to the toilet in the rain.
We moved up to Queensland, and everything changed. We used to walk on the beach every morning and one day I had a friend visiting and we walked out into the sea, and a moment later Edna was standing in the water belly deep in between us. I took this moment and run with it. I got a job working mornings so I could take her swimming every day then I got her a wardrobe of her very own Rashies ( as she was the colour of sand). Then I showed her how to boogie board and I got her an old surf ski also. So nearly every day we would start the day with a walk on the beach and finish the day with a boogie board session with our good friends Di and Max.
When we moved to the Northern Rivers we still walked every day, and Edna had never even really needed a lead as she always walked beside me. However in the last six months of her life she had developed a fixation with trailers, even earlier that morning she had run towards a truck entering a hospital, to which I exclaimed” What are you doing Ed, this will be the death of you!!”. We got home the lady across the road asked us to come over and look at the garden she was to present to the judges in a few hours’ time. It was glorious. Then we were out the front of my house talking to the neighbour Jean. When the lawnmower man came up the road with his trailer loaded with all his gear. I saw Edna look straight at it, line it up and run straight under the back wheel. The scream that left my mouth wasn’t human, and I grabbed her straight away. She had passed on impact. The lawn mower man was so apologetic. But I knew that Edna had chosen this and told him not to blame himself.
My heart broke that day. My sister came up and we buried her at a friend’s place. Then we went down to Edna’s favourite beach. When we got out of the car there was a circular rainbow around the sun. Amazing, as she wore a rainbow collar and her song is somewhere over the rainbow.
I am telling this story as sometimes animals spare you the burden of possible upcoming health issues. And in effect choose to take their own life. Edna showed me in every way unconditional love, and that things can change with perseverance. Also everyone who ever met Ed remarked on her sweet nature. She really was one in a million.
The wonderful outcome of this scenario is she is one of my greatest helpers on the other side. I am so familiar with her vibration that I tune into her when my other animals pass, or a client’s animal has transitioned, she always sends me a double rainbow when they are safely with her. In Diego’s case she also sent around 50 Rainbow lorikeets and a double rainbow. Amazing to see..
