Hogan

Superbe Hogan des Savanes, VMADC, VMSDC, VMJDC, RPT, AAC#5213
Labrador
Born April 16, 1998, died September 18, 2004
Owned, loved and missed by Marie & Don

September 18, 2004… The first day of Guides Canins’ annual September agility trial dawns bright, crisp and full of promise… Then, a phone rings, and the darkest of clouds settles over the morning as the news spreads quietly through our club: one of our instructors has just lost her beloved Labrador. Hogan had been hospitalized the previous day and, despite the valiant efforts of a team of veterinarians, on Saturday morning his spirit slipped away.

It’s hard to describe the emotions we each felt; impossible to describe Marie’s pain. As hosts to hundreds of competitors, we all put on our bravest smiles and gamest attitudes, but in private moments throughout the day there were tears, sadness and shock.

Hogan was everyone’s friend, and a well-rounded canine athlete. He loved tracking, flyball, skijoring and, naturally, agility, earning several titles in the sport. Happily—thankfully—he and Marie enjoyed the honor of competing in the 2004 AAC National Agility Championships just weeks before his passing. And, as a member of the Chiens Show demo team, Hogan frequently delighted kids and adults alike. At home, he was always eager to please his humans, gladly retrieving Don’s morning paper from the driveway… and the occasional beer from the fridge.

Those of us at Guides Canins who ran our dogs that September day did so with Hogan in our hearts. And as night fell, we all hugged our dogs a little closer, having been reminded of the cruel irony that our best friends live but a fraction of our life span.

We will all miss this important member of our extended canine family, and our hearts go out to Marie, Don and their younger Lab, Nelson, who will surely miss his brother. They loved Hogan and made sure he enjoyed as full a life as a dog can lead. He couldn’t have asked for more.

Farewell our friend,
Everyone at Guides Canins