Muncher, the dog who came to us “free to a good home” from a litter box outside a general store in Chilton, Wisconsin, and went on to change our lives in so many ways over the past 17 years, was released from his physical encumbrances on Wednesday morning. Agility truly gave him the greatest joy in his life and we were very fortunate to be able to give him the opportunity to play with the rest of our guests one final time at this past weekend’s K9 Corps Agility trial – enjoying a couple of Intro Hoopers runs and his lifetime favorite – Jumpers at 4 inches (Intro). The “Munch-man” truly did change our lives – taking me to agility trials in 9 states, making wonderful friends that we would have otherwise never known, and even taking our lives in a new direction with starting a NADAC sanctioned club and training / event facility on our property.
Muncher was never a flashy or spectacularly fast dog, he was a consistent and efficient agility partner earning 3 NATCh awards, 3 times National Champion in AMBOR Agility rankings, he was a great teacher – calmly letting me figure out all my handling weaknesses without chastising me for messing up in training or the ring, a great companion on long road trips and to Corey while doing her homework, and most of all – looking in to his eyes was an every day reminder of what unconditional love looks like.
Thanks for everything you gave us, Muncher-Buddy. We will continue on with training and agility events to share with others the same joy you brought to our lives.