Tchai Garratt

City & State
Palm Springs, CA

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My Tchai was rescued by A&B and was a difficult placement due to the impact of the abuse/trauma he suffered prior to being rescued. First I have to thank everyone who found Tchai and helped with his rescue from a terrible, violent home life in South Carolina, and helped him on his journey out of the bad place and to safety. Because of his abuse Tchai had issues, serious ones…..the very wonderful Beth Adams fostered him in upper NY state and knew first hand how traumatized he was. I still have the “Ferocious Dog” warning sign that she had on his crate. Finding a forever home for him was not easy. I consider myself lucky to be the person with the great honor of being Tchai’s forever person…..which was not easy, as he was sort of like a Romanian orphan who had suffered social gaps in his growing up, no toys, no play, no love, no trust etc. He had survived though and made it to safety through the hard work & efforts of A&B English Setter Rescue. When I found him I was living in NYC and inquired on-line as to Tchai’s adoption availability……he was up-state living with Beth Adams (we call her “Angel Beth Adams” in my house). Before you knew it Tchai was all mine and I met him with a pocket full of Mozzarella cheese (Beth told me that was his favorite food). From then on we were inseparable, except for a few days I had spent in hospital when I first adopted him we were never apart.

We flew out to California for family reasons, my gosh what a scene it was getting him to the plane at JFK at 5AM, really funny in a Neil Simon sort of way. Tchai barked most of the trip west, yes we could all hear him in the plane cabin. He has been with me through so much, so many life changes & losses, but Tchai was the one constant in my life, my devoted friend and companion for all these years. He would have been 14 years old on July 24th….which I think is quite old for a Setter. Who would have thought that Tchai would ever become a popular older dog w/ lots of dog & human friends living in Palm Springs, CA? He traveled a long way from his life in S. Carolina. He was such a magnificent Leo Alpha male, “those curls!”, who protected me from the wild dogs, and from the intruders when they tried to break in. I miss his funny welcome wiggle dance when I came in, how he could levitate, his deep mirror sensitivity, his Setter Zen, I miss everything about him, I just miss him so much I ache.

I know that his time came, July 5th, 2014 at 5PM, and through the Grace of A&B he never suffered. The time was exactly right. The Vet & his assistant were wonderful. I could not have wished for a better, kinder, compassionate, and respectful crossing experience for my sweet boy…….indeed we should all be so lucky for the Vet to come when it’s our time. It was a good crossing and a beautiful blue sky day w/ big white clouds and flocks of birds flying about.

On the Monday morning, 2 days after he crossed the Rainbow Bridge I went out early for a walk and to pick some flowers to make a commemorative wreath for him, as I unlocked my front door I went to ring the wind chimes that hang there, as I always did when I returned home so he knew I was coming in…then I stopped thinking “he’s not there”…..right then the long chime suddenly dropped off and hit the table w/ plants directly beneath it ….I had to laugh because I knew it was a sign……later that night when I was meditating I heard him bark once, a clear strong bark from near the front room, I knew he had crossed OK and that he was letting me know that. Later that night he came to me in a dream, he sniffed my left hand, then he pressed the top of his head against my heart and held it there for a long time…then he was gone. Precious memories.

I have been at loose ends for the past two weeks since my Tchai crossed over, really out of it and just crying a lot. I know this pain will pass and only the loving memories and happy times will remain, but for now my heart keeps breaking, every morning he is not here, every night, dinner etc. I just miss him so much. I am beyond grateful for A&B for saving him for me to love all these years, and for helping him when his time came. You are all such wonderful people and you do such wonderful work, making very real differences in the lives of so many, both the dogs and the humans. I know there will be a day when I think, “now I am ready”, and will bring a new dog into my life, because life is so much better with a great dog to share it with, but for now my grief is strong and I have to embrace that and be with it for now. Happy trails my handsome, sweet boy, my Tchai. We will be reunited again.
Love & Peace,
Sandra Garratt