Today's Painting

Summit
Australian Shepherd Search & Rescue Dog

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From Karen, his handler:

I met Summit on a mountain top in New Hampshire a day after I lost his beloved big brother, Forest, in an accident. Before meeting Forest I had always assumed my soulmate would have two legs, but he showed me that sometimes, for some people, their soulmates have four. I had no idea how I'd carry on without my dear friend, but he came to me the night he died in a dream and said his goodbyes in the sweetest of ways that still brings me to tears and he left me with a vision of an ice blue eye. I didn't know what it meant and didn't give it much thought until I made my way up the winding mountain road to meet a lil Aussie pup whom the day before I didn't even know existed. I knew as soon as I saw the lil blue merle pup with the ice blue eye and so much white fur that he looked like he came straight from the clouds in heaven that Forest had lead me to him. The journey that I thought had come to an end became a new beginning and has sustained me ever since. Summit is truly a blessing. He is a kind dog, full of love and endless kisses, always by my side and always ready for an adventure. He is a fine search dog who is successfully following in his big brother's pawprints. Forest must be so proud of us.

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Disaster and Wilderness Ground Searchers (DAWGS) is a volunteer search unit dedicated to the training of search and rescue dogs, handlers and support personnel in order to provide professional and highly-skilled search and rescue teams in the event of emergency response events. Formed in 1997 and operational in the spring of 1998, their primary search area is the state of Connecticut, although they are willing to assist disaster relief efforts and lost person searches wherever they are needed.

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Thank you to all the dogs and their partners out there that dedicate so much time and money to save us from harm.