He taught me how to run, and how to live life....

“Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.....”

Written in memory of a very special dog, the first of a kind....

I remember exactly where I was when I heard of his birth. It was 5:09pm on 30^th January, 1999. I was in a car park, on my way to do some shopping in Marks & Spencer, in Andover town centre.


He entered this world with five others, the first born litter of Kai and Jazz. A black and white husky, with bright blue eyes, my dream had only just begun....


For several months preceding his birth, I had deliberated as to what name I would bestow upon such a precious little puppy. Pages and pages of names beginning with the letter “K” (to follow in his father's name...) were written. And yet it was by mere chance that I stumbled across the name I chose to give him, a name that was to ultimately transpire to be far more significant than I could possibly have imagined...


I chose the name “Kade”, after I heard its sound, whilst watching a television programme called First Wave. The main character in the television series was called Cade Foster. Cade was short for Kincaid, and he was a character that discovered previously unknown quatrains of Nostradamus, which tells of three waves that will destroy the plane unless the “twice blessed man” can stop them...


Kade did not exactly save the planet, but he definitely helped save me! Kade was fundamental in helping me escape from my mind demons and into the fabulous world that awaits those that run purely for fun. As we ran together for hours and hours across the Hampshire countryside, he helped me create dreams that one day I would actually live.


Kade taught me how to run. To run and to enjoy. The sheer pleasure on his face as he ran was infectious indeed. I could do nothing but follow him in body and in mind....


Kade was also the first of a kind in the UK. Before “canicross” became the phenomenon that it now is, Kade and I ran together as a formidable team. Running together we beat male and female alike, earning a reputation, which to this day still stands strong. A Canadian facebook page even has a picture of him and I in one of our first ever CaniX races as their profile picture...


The sweetest of character, I never once saw him show any aggression. He wanted to be everyone's friend, but accepted that not every dog wanted to be his friend. Kai and Kade had a phenomenally strong bond from the minute they met, and for all of his life, his father protected him from all threats. One time a large male Alaskan Malamute decided that Kade was an easy target.... It took me and Kai to deal with the dog. I received bruises and grazes, Kai received puncture wounds through ears and neck. But we saved Kade from serious harm, and for many years that was how we lived, Kai, Kade and I, each looking out for the other. Meiko and Zep also lived in our pack at this time, happy days, I remember them well.


Many years later Krofti came along, followed by Kez. We grew as a pack, many adventures and experiences were had. Then Ian came along, a fellow human to share the pack with.


Kobi joined us some time after, the following year Kroi was the final addition to date.....


So many dogs, Kade taught all of them how to run. The master became the teacher, without him my job would have been so much harder. He guided them safely round courses, gently encouraging them whenever they needed a helping hand.


At only nine months of age, he was leading a four dog sled team, pulling a wheeled rig through forest tracks in the New Forest, Exmoor, Grimsthorpe... the list went on. We were not usually the fastest, but we excelled on the technical courses - he once led a six dog team to victory in a SHCGB rally after all the faster teams either lost dogs or lost the route!


And I will never forget his showing career. Two challenge certificates, best puppy dog at Crufts, and numerous other successes. An absolute delight to take into the show ring as he glided round with such awesome presence and beauty.

Most that met him were affected in a very positive way, with the exception of the mice and shrews that he excelled in hunting......


I could continue writing for hours, but no written tribute would ever do this boy justice. His zest for life, his attitude, his behaviour... all of which were exemplary. We shared a lifetime, his lifetime, and I will continue for the rest of my life thinking of him and our happy times together.


To say goodbye to such a special boy has been very hard. When his father passed away, Kade lost the sparkle from his eyes and his health declined dramatically. He struggled on, refusing to give in to his weakening body. It was only a few weeks ago that he stopped running, legs suddenly no longer able to go faster than a very slow walk. From that point forth, the decline in his health was rapid.


Kade's running legacy will live on in all that I do and aspire to be. His pack will continue in the way that he taught them to be.


As my heart breaks and the tears fall freely, I console myself in the belief that Kade finally gets to spend eternity with his father and the woo, woo dog. All running free over the rainbow bridge.


Forever and a day they will watch over us, and forever and a day I will think of all of them.

“Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.”