Cheetah
I got Cheetah in May 2010. She was a German Shepherd from the Czech Republic. She gave me 14 years and 4 months of wonderful happiness. As I write this my keyboard is soaked with tears. Anyone who has lost a dear friend knows what I am going through.
I didn’t go on a vacation during the time Cheetah and I were together for fear of making her sad with missing me.
14 years is a long time for a German Shepherd. A friend told me that she hung on those extra years to look after me. The night before I had to let her go, I was on the phone and very emotional. She came over by my feet to comfort me. It tore my heart out.
ElderDog and Patricia Conrad played a large part in her longevity. At 6 years old she required drops in her eyes 4 times a day to chase the disease away. Tanya organized a team of volunteers, which included Patricia, to make this happen. ElderDog believes in exercise for a dog to make them healthy and happy. Either 5 or 6 years ago Patricia was walking by my house one day, and asked about Cheetah. She offered her time to walk Cheetah. She walked her exclusively every day for those 5 years. I have no doubt that Patricia’s generosity added years to her life. Patricia loved Cheetah like I did. Cheetah was always overjoyed to see her.
I would like to thank ElderDog and especially Tanya and Patricia for their over the top generosity to Cheetah and myself.
I have had 4 German Shepherds. It is never easy to lose a pet as you all know. Cheetah was the worst for me.
I miss her so much.
Rodney Hersey
From Patricia:
I first met Cheetah through ElderDog when I was asked to help with her care. She needed eye drops administered daily and her owner, Rodney, a senior and blind, needed assistance. I became very fond of Cheetah during that time. I met Cheetah again in 2020 after my own dog passed away and I was missing my daily dog walks. I ran into Cheetah and Rodney in their yard when passing by and asked Rodney if I could take Cheetah for a walk with me. That walk began a beautiful bond between her and I and I helped care for her over the last four years of her life.
Cheetah was extremely smart and loyal to her owner, Rodney. She wanted to be by his side always and would only leave him for our daily walk in the park. She was always eager to get back to her Dad where she felt most comfortable and safe. Cheetah was gentle and kind to every dog or human she encountered in the park. She loved her treats and was very spoiled with lots of good food and belly rubs. She was the sweetest girl and loving companion to her owner, Rodney and she is missed deeply by those who loved her.