Forest Knolls Nala March 26,1994----March 2,2006 It is with a very heavy heart that I had to say good-bye to my Grandma dog, Forest Knolls Nala on the 2 of March. She would have been 12 years old on the 26 th of this month. We had the paper work all filled out to send in for her certificate in the Thirteen club of the parent club on the 26th but the powers that be had a different idea and plan. I knew her time was getting short as over the last year and especially the last few weeks she just wasn't her same old bouncing like a puppy self. She had been having what my vet called Mini Strokes since last summer and had developed small growths on different parts of her body that we were keeping a close eye on. I knew things were not quite right the last 2 weeks but I just could not bear to let her go. She seemed fine one day and not so good the next. I prepared myself as best I could but she made the final decision. It was in the early hours that I let her go to the Rainbow Bridge where her Mom, Queenie, was waiting for her I am sure. Nala was my restart in the world of breeding German Shepherds after a long break. I first saw this beautiful all black girl as a puppy at Butch and Gail Stiefferman's Forest Knoll Kennels when she was about 9 weeks old. She was their keeper out of a litter they had just had. Little did I know then that in about 18 months I would get the privilege of having her to come live with me. Her mother Queenie, Forest Knolls Dressed N Black, was the most loving Shepherd I had seen and Nala her daughter had inherited this same temperament. Thank you Butch and Gail for giving me the HONOR of having Nala in my life. Nala was my friend and most loving companion for nearly ten years and was the mother and grandmother of the ones I have now. Although she was not a "SHOW" dog she did produce puppies that were a gift from heaven. She had 3 litters in her lifetime and boy they were nice, always giving me better than herself. She was a very loving mother and boy did she love puppies weather they were her own or her daughters or another females. She didn't care, puppies were her life. When her daughter Ashes, had her first litter Nala waited until I let Ashes out to potty and secretly snuck down stairs to the whelping pen, got the gait open and proceeded to make herself at home with the babies. She was a great Mom. Nala always produced wonderful temperament as her mother had before her. Nala had those humans in her life that she dearly adored. One of those were my adopted son, Steve, who Nala knew was always good for a great long belly rub. She would run to him when he came over and place herself in position and just look at him with those big brown eyes and sure enough he would lower his 6ft 4'' body down to the floor for her rub. The look in her eyes was pure enjoyment. Nala loved kids, all kids. When we brought my granddaughter Samantha home from the hospital, three and a half years ago, Nala just had to get close to see what new exciting thing we had brought for her to take care of and watch over. She loved this new funny looking puppy that looked a bit strange and smelled different but no matter she would watch it and protect it for me if that is what I needed her to do. It has been a good ten years for me with this one of a kind, beautiful, loving. and just wonderful example of a TRUE German Shepherd. She has been here thru the good times and the bad times and has never wavered in her love. I want to thank one special person who on the night I was to let my girl, Nala, go for her help, love, and true friendship. It is not everyone that would receive a heart wrenching phone call at 1:15 in the morning from a hysterical crying woman, get out of bed, get dressed, and drive to meet me at the emergency vets. She did this without hesitation and from the kindness of her heart. She was there with me and held Nala as we let her go to the Bridge as I could not get down on the floor with her due to severe leg problems. She is a true friend that went above and beyond the call of duty. Her name is Debbie Sullivan and I will be forever grateful for her friendship and love. She owns 2 of Nala's Grandkids, Bully and Wolfie. Debbie, THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART. GOOD BYE MY SWEET NALA, SLEEP WELL, WE WILL MEET AGAIN. "YOU DID GOOD PRETTY GIRL " Barbara Gambill-BEG48@xxxxxxx ============================================================================ POST is Copyrighted 2006. All material remains the property of the original author and of GSD Communication, Inc. NO REPRODUCTIONS or FORWARDS of any kind are permitted without prior permission of the original author AND of the Showgsd-l Management. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 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