The AKC Agility Grand Champion Title: My journey

Selene’s diary: I started off this year with 14 Premier jumpers (advanced jumpers, more difficult than Masters) qualifying runs (Qs) left. In March, mom fell at the ice rink and had shoulder surgery in May. By then I still need 6 Qs. We started back the end of June and got 1 Q, and my brother passed away in the beginning of July. Mom and I both fell into depression and we were both very sad. We started back up in July and got 1 Q, and 2 Qs in August, then my foot was bitten by fire ants in Fort Worth. I was limping for 5 weeks. I got 1 Q in October and got the last one the first week in November. I really do not like backside jumps. I almost did not make it because I was so slow in the beginning. Mom was very happy and relieved and told me I also need to finish my Preferred Agility Champion 5 (PACH 5).

My AGCH picture with the judge, November 2, 2024

I also earned an article written about me in the German Shepherd Dog Club of America magazine January/February issue. 

A lot of people were cheering on when I finally did it. It took us 3 years after my sister Sophie went to heaven. I just wish I had siblings to cheer me on. Mom bought me a lot of food that I like: HEB garlic chicken drumsticks, steak and of course cake.

My sister Sweet Tea went to heaven

Storm’s diary: Three weeks after my canine brother went to heaven, my 17 year old big sister went to heaven. It happened all of a sudden one day, and she fell asleep and never woke up. My dad was very sad because Sweet Tea slept with him every night all these years. 

Sweet Tea, Sirius and me

  I feel that I have to take up the responsibility so I started sleeping with Dad. Mom was upset because I used to sleep with her. But my canine sister Selene is sleeping with her now, so I think it is ok.

Since I lived in this house, Sweet Tea is my 7th sibling to go to heaven. It is really sad, and now I became the oldest in the house. Sirius, aka Hop-along, since she only had 3 good feet and hoping on the 4th one when she came, is almost 3 years old, but she is still very much like a kitten. I do not have a choice of a friend since it is only me, her and Selene. 

I started hanging with Selene a lot. She was depressed since Spencer died, and she really did not have the energy to chase me. 

Summer is almost over, and I turned 10 years old in September. 

Sweet Tea was buried between her feline brothers,
Sammy and Sunrise

Selene and me

I turned 10 years old September 2024,
With mom and Selene

My brother Spencer went to heaven

Storm’s diary: If you do not know me, I am a 10 year old cat that my now-in-heaven GSD sister Sophie picked up on the street. I have lived in this house for 10 years and I have seen 3 of my canine siblings and 2 of my feline siblings went to heaven. Spencer was a great brother. He never chased me, he was a calm nap buddy and I was never scared around him even though he weighed 95 pounds. 

Spencer and me when I was still a kitten

Spencer was only a year or so older than me, but he was never the crazy dog who chase everything, I think he loves me and he told me that I would be doing ok in this house. I will never go hungry. 

I never have to worry about Spencer chasing me, I can walk around the kitchen and not have to worry about running back upstairs. 

Spencer turned 11 in February and we never would have thought that that would be his last birthday. 

Me sleeping with Spencer 

It was a really sad July day. Spencer woke up and could not breathe, then he collapsed in the backyard. Mom and Dad took him to the emergency vet, and his lungs was filled with blood. My poor canine sister Selene saw them leave and Spencer never came back. Selene was in depression for months. She and I bonded. We both lost our brother. I used to be scared of Selene, she was smaller than me when she came but she chased me around. I am scared of her sometimes. But after Spencer went to heaven, she would lie there all the time, and I would just go lie next to her. We both felt calm. Mom and Dad were both sad for a long time, they did not talk and when they did they talked about Spencer and they both cried.

2024 was really a tough year. Mom fell at the ice rink in March and she had shoulder surgery in May, so when Spencer collapsed, she only had one arm. Selene became another dog, she slept a lot and had been very quiet. I could not believe that in my short life, I saw 7 of my siblings went to heaven.

Mom with Spencer on his 11th birthday.

This is the last picture that Mom took of Selene and Spencer

Spencer was buried between my canine sisters Sidney and Sophie