I want to let everybody know that my daughter, Rose age 12 is going through a very sad time, in fact our whole family is.

Rose started saving her money at 4 years old to buy a horse and she bought Dusty a few years ago. Dusty has been wonderful with the children and she taught them so much. Both Rose and Violet learned to stay on a horse from Dusty plus all the horse care they learned from her.

When we bought Dusty, were were led to believe she was only 16 years old at the time, leaving many years left to be with our family. It turns out that she is well over 25 years old and the years of abuse and neglect in her previous life have not been kind to her. Dusty is in a lot of pain and she is dying. Last week our farrier wouldn't even do her feet. With tears in his eyes, he said it is her time.

Arrangements were made to take Dusty to the Olympic Game Farm this morning, where they will humanely put her down and use her to feed the endangered cats. This is Rose's choice for Dusty's last day and the best one available. It is Rose's choice to go with Dusty to the Game Farm. Her and Greg will be riding in with a friend with the horse trailer.

There are a lot of tears and emotion in our house this week. I 've been crying with Rose and for her. I am amazed at her bravery and maturity to go with her horse on this part of her final journey.

-- Laura (Ladybugwrangler@hotmail.com), May 02, 2002

Answers

I feel sorry for your daughter, my oldest has always been an animal lover also. She saved money for dogs when she was very little. When she got older she finally purchased a dog from a "reputable breeder". This dog was a loser from the word go. I could not be toilet trained and it appeared to be a little slow to say the least. This was not apparent when we saw the dog at her place.

We contacted the person who the dog was purchased from and told her we wanted our money back. She asked why, and we told her. She really balked at the idea of a refund. After a LOT of hassles we finally got our money back.

I wish people were honest about animals they sell, especially to children. The amount of damage they cause is massive to a young girl. Even now we still talk about the dog "from hell". It was a hard lesson for us all, but thank God that it ended better then yours.

-- Bob in WI (bjwick@hotmail.com), May 02, 2002.

What a noble young lady you have as your daughter. I will remember her in my prayers. It is easy to take the love of an animal..it is easy to take the enjoyment of the devotion of an animal..it is easy to care for an animal that you love and to have pride in it, and to look forward to spending days and months and years of the same with that animal....it is one of the hardest, most heart-wrenching things in this life to be with that animal when you have to put it down. For a 12 year old young lady to have the amount of love and devotion to her horse to BE there with it when her horse needs HER the most is wonderful! Out of all the folks that could have bought that horse a few years back, I am sure glad it was your daughter.

-- lesley (martchas@bellsouth.net), May 02, 2002.

Give her a big hug from the wife and I...our 3 year old daughters favorite cat got hit out on the highway...as we were burying it, she kept stroking its fur and saying 'Kitty is sleeping, right daddy?' That was the hardest moment of my life...we will be praying for her.

-- Joe (threearrs@hotmail.com), May 02, 2002.

Hugs and prayers for all of you. It's a terrifically hard thing for me as an adult, I have much respect for your daughter to be so mature and caring at that tender of an age. I second lesley, too. how nice that Dusty was so well loved in her latter years.

-- Doreen (bisquit@here.com), May 02, 2002.

You've got a real special kid there. Sorry for the loss & We'll being thinking of you all.

-- John in S. IN (jdoofus@hotmail.com), May 03, 2002.