Sky

Human Family: Kenny

The info we published at the time…

On the UK’s National Pet Remembrance Day it is with great sadness we let you all know that we had to say goodbye to Sky and let her catch up with her old best friend Bryn (our first search dog who qualified with Jo Kenny who left us some 5 1/2 years ago).

Registered with the Kennel Club as Spicemill Atlanta Night Sky, she would have just turned 12, born 4th July 2009, departed 20th June 2021.

It is devastating to lose your fluffy as all dog owners know. It leaves a huge hole in your life but we do have so many great memories. The way she lept into water, her love of cheese (her reward for search which she copied from her search dog mum Venka), very very squeaky toys, putting her paws around my shoulders when I was stood up…

We were constantly stopped by members of the public asking what breed she was. The answer always a ‘Hoovawart’ and they would say “A Hova What?”. My young Hovawart boy Scout keeps that tradition very much going.

It is also very fitting to remember her for allowing me to be an NSARDA Dog Handler. She passed every assessment she ever took. She covered my every mistake and carried me through. Sky for that I am eternally grateful my girl.

She loved us so much and did so much for me not only as a pet but as my search dog. How can you repay unfaltering loyalty and love?

As members of @NSARDAKent we qualified in 2012 and were an operational dog team for 7 years deploying to missing person searches as members of @KSAR. I estimated we undertook more than 150 searches together (I didn’t keep a formal count).

Her career was cut short by an injury to the knee sustained on a search. I had to retire Sky in her 9th year, all too early whilst the experts worked out that she had a cruciate ligament problem. She had an Op and got her knee remodelled. She then had a happy retirement but in recent times her mobility declined significantly.

I like to think as a search dog she was a great asset to SAR and I thoroughly enjoyed working with her throughout this time. It was so massively difficult to cope with retirement but you have to do what is right for your best furry friend.

She spent her entire life being a great pet and in service for which we are truly grateful and we spent the latter years making sure she had the best life she could in the circumstances. A very small thank you for a dog that gave so much.