Trine - Queen of the Beach in Germany
Most of my social media dog friends are active in promoting dog adoptions, so sometimes I feel like I don’t contribute but every dog has to have a cause and mine is mainly promoting my breed. I was thinking about my blog when I was on my morning walk and thought I should write about the sister I never knew – Trine (pronounced Tree-nah). I never knew her as she passed away before I was born but my mom adopted her from the Humane Society where at age 1 1/2 her owners had left her and her 6 puppies. The puppies were adopted right away but poor Trine an adult 100 lb. Lab/Newfoundland mix had been there for almost 2 months. Who besides my mom wants to adopt a black 100 lb adult dog? Mom had wanted a dog for a long time and had not planned to adopt a dog that day but it was love at first sight. Trine went home with her that day and lived the rest of her life with mom. Katie spent her first 15 months living
Trine with Katie in St. Peter-Ording
with mom and Trine so she knew what a wonderful dog Trine was. Mom and Katie talk about Trine quite a bit to this day and we have photos of her around the house. Since Trine lived in Minnesota for her first 4 years mom takes us to places where she used to go with Trine and talks to us about their time there years ago. Mom still gets all teared up thinking about her so I guess she was a very special dog!
Over the years, mom has adopted 9 kittens and cats from the Humane Society, she has never had a purebred cat. I have asked her why if she
Trine and Katie in Oberjoch
had always adopted did she get Katie and I as purebreds. I guess she wanted a second dog in Germany and went to the Animal Shelter in Augsburg but it was so terrible, dirty, unfriendly and nothing like what she was used to. The dogs were in terrible condition and one even tried to attack her. She ended up getting Katie, a purebred instead because she could not bear to go to a German Animal Shelter again. Then when she wanted a sister for Katie she fell in love with my breed which, at first, she thought was a mix and decided to just get another purebred. She loves us to death but she always tells us that we lack the appreciation for out lifestyle that Trine had for hers. Katie and I are lucky enough to have always had a good loving home, Trine was not as fortunate and she always knew that mom had saved her.
We don’t have any puppy pictures of Trine since she was 1
Katie snuggling with Trine
1/2 when mom got her and then until she was about 6, mom did not have a digital camera so we only have regular photos. I can’t imagine life without a computer or a digital camera – those were really the old days I guess! Trine got to see a lot of the world just like Katie and I. She spent 4 years in Minnesota and then moved to Germany where she visited the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland and Austria. In Germany she got around too living in Siegen, Unter Uhldingen on Lake Constance and in Kempten in Bavaria. She also spent many vacations in St. Peter-Ording on the North Sea which is where I
Trine and Katie in Marktoberdorf
actually lived. For an animal shelter dog she sure got lucky! She loved water and swimming – especially retrieving tennisballs from the water. Her specialty was carrying 2 in her mouth at a time. She let the cats do just about anything with her including sleeping on top of her, she was a big gentle soul. When she was 9 mom took her along and found my sister Katie the 9 week old Kuvasz. Trine put up with all the puppy antics of Katie and took good care of her little sis no matter how pesty she was. Katie adored Trine and I think she learned a lot from Trine from what mom says.
One day when Trine was about 10 1/2 she simply stopped eating. Mom took her to the vet and found out that she had advanced pancreatic cancer. Trine just loved the North Sea so mom took immediate vacation from her job and took Trine and Katie to their vacation home on the North Sea where her friend was also a vet. They ran all the tests they could but it did not look like Trine had much time so she spent her last days on the beach with mom and Katie. She passed away on October 21, 2003, just a week after being diagnosed with cancer leaving mom and Katie alone. Right before Trine passed Katie actually came in and gave her a nice doggie kiss on the nose, mom said it was so sweet. Mom was so very sad and so was Katie. Mom says that Katie searched for Trine for several weeks. Time passed and both got on with life without Trine but she will never be forgotten. I wish I had met her as she sounds like a great dog. Mom would have no problem adopting another dog if the opportunity would arise but for now we are just happy being a 2 dog, 2 cat family. My point is that if you see a black 100 lb dog in a shelter, don’t shy away, it may be one of the best dogs you could ever find!
A really nice story! Brenda