ABOUT BEAU
It seems like only yesterday I was driving down to Coolangatta airport to pick up Beau who was born in New South Wales. I can still see so clearly the dog crate on top of the Air Cargo vehicle making its way across the tarmac to the office where I was waiting. When Beau’s crate was brought into the office, Beau had his back to me. I went over to him and looked down and I said ‘Hello Beau’. Beau looked up at me and a very special connection was formed between us from that very first moment. His tail did not stop wagging.
It was as if Beau knew he was meant to be with me.
The dog crate was secured by a stainless steel horse clip which had a red, green and blue tartan tag. The Air Cargo man had to break the clip to open the dog crate. Beau could not wait to get out of the crate and be with me. The 2 Air Cargo men could not believe that this was the first time that Beau and I had met.
They said it was as if Beau and I had been together all our lives.
I still have this broken horse clip with the tartan tag. It is sitting on a prayer table with photos of Beau and Jessie and a white candle which I light every night to keep Beau safe and to bring him safely back home to us.
This was a very special and happy day in my life. The deep feeling of love between Beau and I from that very first moment will span eternity. I will never forget that moment and neither will Beau.
As Beau had been travelling for several hours, by road and air, I decided to walk him around the airport terminal before driving home. We had a wonderful time together. Beau took everything in his stride.. the sound of airplanes, cars and trucks driving past, people rushing by. He loved me so much and trusted me unquestioningly, from that very first moment.
Wherever we went, people used to stop and look at us and smile. Beau had a special presence about him and he always loved me so very much.
When we arrived home, Jessie and Benmore greeted us and they instantly loved Beau, especially Jessie. Our English Setter, Bandit had died in December 2000. During the course of Bandit’s illness, Jessie lost 6kg in weight and when Bandit died, Benmore virtually lost his eye sight.
Dogs have feelings too and they suffer grief as well as give unconditional love.
Jessie always slept on the bed with me. She was completely devoted to me and needed to be physically close to me all the time. I always ended up sleeping on the edge of the bed with Jessie 'glued' beside me.
However, the truth was that I needed Jessie even more than she needed me. Jessie was my rock when everything else was falling down around me. She was my ‘Miss Princess’.
Benmore slept on an x-large doggie bed covered with a sheepskin rug by my bed. He used to sleep on my bed but I worried he might fall off when he reached 16 years of age with his poor eyesight. I could lower my hand and touch him beside me, and he knew where I was.
Beau decided his place was to sleep with his head on the pillow beside me.
Beau loved my mare Sparkie. He used to follow her everywhere. Sparkie loved Beau back just as much. Her 'soul mate' Misty Blue had died tragically not long before Beau came to live with us. For some reason little Beau lifted Sparkie's spirits so much, as he lifted mine. Normally Sparkie was not interested in dogs, in fact she hated dogs, but as you can see from this photo, Sparkie and Beau were very comfortable and happy being close to each other.
Muscles, the dog next door, spent more time with us than with his own family. Beau used to love his daily walks with Jessie and Muscles. Beau was fascinated with the tiny quail who he would spy hiding in the bush by the side of the track, and the bush pheasants, rabbits, wallabies and the birds we would see on our walks through the environmental park.
Beau invented the phrase ‘in your face’. He had to be involved in everything I did and he could not get enough attention or love from me. He was very naughty but no matter what he did, he had such a way about him, all I could do was laugh. I look at everything he has chewed and I miss him so much.
I enrolled Beau in puppy kindy and then dog obedience classes. He was very intelligent and learned quickly but his attention span was short and he was not tempted by food rewards. I enrolled Jessie as well even though she was a very good girl and 10 years old because I did not want her to feel 'left out'. Jessie enjoyed it much more than Beau. Benmore was too old to go back to dog obedience classes and he never did what he was told anyway.
Beau was so happy chasing seagulls along the beach, going for his daily walks with Jessie and Muscles, and running inside our acreage property chasing the birds and rabbits, and looking in awe at the wallabies who sat outside our property, I decided to just let him have fun doing all the things he loved. I still trained him in my own way to help him grow into a happy, confident boy.
Life was so much fun and so exciting for Beau.
I follow a little ritual which my parents used to do with me. Every night I kiss my dogs and horses and tell them that I love them very much and I’ll see them in the morning. I tell my horses to be very careful during the night. In the morning I kiss them all and tell them how much I love them and I am so thankful they are safe. Whenever I have to leave them, I kiss them all and tell them to be very careful until I get back home. The first thing I do when I arrive home is to kiss them all and tell them how much I love them, and again, I am so thankful they are safe.
This all changed on 1 July 2003. I know with absolute certainty that no one will be loving Beau like this now. It is so very wrong what has happened to Beau, and all the other stolen animals like Beau.
In March 2003 when Beau was 2 years old I took him to a dog show to see whether or not he liked it. I had tried showing Beau a couple of times when he was younger but he made it very clear to me that he did not enjoy it. I was advised by the 'experts' that I had no chance of showing Beau successfully because he was too old and I was a new handler with very limited knowledge of grooming. Despite this, Beau did exceptionally well. He won his ribbons on his own merit. I believe Beau would have run along beside me in a show ring without a lead. Beau had an outstanding presence in the show ring.
The reason is because Beau loved me and trusted me so much and he was so confident when he was beside me. He knew I would never force him to do anything against his will and he knew how much I loved him.
I now regret very much I took up this 'hobby' because this may be the reason why Beau was stolen. This was the only change in our routine before Beau was stolen on 1 July 2003.
I know in my heart that Beau has suffered a great deal and he will never be the same again.
Can you imagine the trauma, the grief, the fear, the confusion and the insecurity Beau felt being forcibly taken away from his mum, his family and his home where he was so very happy and so very much loved ?? What had he done wrong ?? Where was his mum ?? Why didn't she come to him and bring him back home ??
It is not Beau's fault and it is not my fault Beau was stolen.
All I can do is continue to search for Beau and hope that ONE HUMAN BEING has one ounce of compassion to do the right thing.
Even after more than 4 years 9 months, I still worry about Beau every day because I DO NOT KNOW BEAU IS SAFE !!!! I have every reason and every right to worry about this !!!
I have always had a very bad feeling about what happened to Beau, and why shouldn't I !!!
Beau was inseparable from me. He suffered separation anxiety even if I left him for 5 minutes. The reality is that Beau would never have willingly left me or Jessie or his home.
Wherever Beau is, I know in my heart he is not happy and I know he wants to come back home. He will never forget us just because he was stolen. He will continue to suffer until I find him. Whoever has Beau would not notice his grief and they would not care.
If a responsible, decent human being was caring for Beau, his microchip details would have been checked. This has not occurred.
I feel very strongly in my heart that Beau knows I am searching for him and he is waiting for me to find him. Beau would have tried to escape and make his way back home if he was able to.
Beau is now 7 years old. He deserves to be allowed to spend the remainder of life where he belongs and where he wants to be, with his mum, and his family.
Please have a heart. For once give a 'missing' dog a chance you might not usually give them, especially a dog taken away from his home as long as Beau.
PLEASE HELP BEAU COME BACK HOME!!!
