JASMINE (GILLESTA JASMINE)
25/09/91 – 19/12/2006

Today nineteenth December 2006. We made the decision every dog owner dreads and decided to have Jasmine put to sleep.

Jasmine was my first ever dog. I still remember going to the breeders and seeing this little dark collie strut over with her tail up and a ‘slipped’ blaze on her face. “That’s the one” I told my mum.

Jasmine was never the easiest girl. Adoringly known, as the ‘grumpy old cow’, JJ, Jaz or J. She was never into other dogs but was faithful and sweet to me always. She stopped crowds at agility shows with her ear splitting barking and manic style of working. She was probably the fastest dog I’ve ever run but never, ever consistent! Contacts were attacked at warp speed, sometimes she’d hit the contact but only by luck!

We eventually retired her from agility and kept her busy with swimming and walks. She went through Spondilitis, a stroke and developed arthritis. Then a few weeks ago Jasmine was diagnosed with Lymphoma (Cancer of the Lymph Nodes). Even though she had just turned fifteen we decided to try her on Chemotherapy but agreed at the beginning that if she was unhappy we wouldn’t keep treating her. She responded well and the cancer begun to remiss. She began to get a bit weak and unwell somedays so we kept a close eye.

This morning however I think she had decided she’d had enough. Jasmine looked up at me with sad brown eyes and just didn’t want to get out of bed. We took her to the vets and found that she dropped weight from the 15kgs she was before treatment to 12.2 last week then to just 11.6kgs now. Sally our vet had a look at her and didn’t find anything newly wrong, she was just tired and very weak. Strangely enough. Jaz who usually just ignores everyone else just turned her head to Sally and looked straight into her eyes as if to say ‘please help me’. She then looked back at me as if to say ‘That’s enough mum, its my time now’. I held Jasmines head as she went to sleep, this time for good.

JJ, I hope the pain has gone now and you’ve found Kizzy to run free with at Rainbow Bridge. I keep expecting to feel your nose nudge me. Come walk with me in my dreams sweetie.

Bye, bye Jasmine xxx

Senior Agility Dog

Our old lady and Gemmas first ever dog. Jasmine was always mad, crazy, keen on agility and used to fly around with no respect for anything including Gemma. she finally went Senior at about 6 years old and is now enjoying her retirement.

Jasmine is from breed lines namely the Alticia lines. Her dad was the gorgeous Sh. Ch. Altricia Krisp at Chartop JW (Pic left) mum was Gillesta Jaylene.

I was just twelve when I picked Jaz. We had researched various breeds and I fell in love with Collies. We wanted a calm dog for me that I could do breed, flyball, agility, trials etc with for the Junior Kennel Club and lines researched for a lovely secure dam and sire. When we went to see the pups, this little mismarked fluff bundle marched straight up to us. She had chosen and from that point on I was owned by Jasmine.

She can be sharp with other dogs and in fact was this way from ten weeks old. She'd sit under my chair and grumble at the other pups at playgroup. Over the years she has improved and as long as she's left alone by other dogs she is fine. The love of her life was a goldie we used to dogsit called Battye. Even now it's the one breed of dog that J will go and say hello to! We did however decide to have her spayed when she was young as we weren't confident enough with her temperament to breed from her.

J worked in many disiplines getting some good places in breed despite her mismarkings. She also had a good aptitude for working trials although I never followed this up. Her obedience was brilliant although she used to get marked for working too close to me. She also competed in agility for about ten years. It took her ages to get her brain in gear as she was just manic and had no respect for weaves etc. She snapped so many weaves in her career! Jasmine did however make it into Senior despite never really having contacts or a wait. She was a true speed demon. noisy, unpredictable but oh great fun! Her forte was flyball she was small and very fast, she loved this! What a star.