Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to the RainbowBridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water, and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable. All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.
The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; his eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in a joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross the
Rainbow Bridge together....


Author Unknown
This page is dedicated
to club members
who wish to share memories of their beloved border terriers who have crossed
the Rainbow Bridge.
Over the
Rainbow Bridge
Am/Int’l CH Dixieland’s Roberta E Lee AX, AXJ, JE, RN, CGC, V
1995-2009

MACH4 Otterby Thane of MacDuff CDX RE MXP3 MJP4 OFP
October 21, 1995 - December 14, 2009


Today, December 14th, marks the day I ended my journey with my MacDuff. What a wonderful journey it has been! I remember going to Chicago's Christmas Cluster dog show on December 15, 1995 to pick him up from his breeder for good.My friend, Fran, drove us so I could hold the little guy the whole way.  Talk about love at first sight, cuddle, hug.  We were set!

He was pretty perky at the show, anyway, greeting an American Pointer bitch to say "hi".  The woman came running back after her class and thanked us for letting her girl greet my puppy.  She won the class and picked up a major.  I chuckled, not quite understanding all that.

He came to greet his vet, Dr. Prunsky, who marveled over how healthy he was and gave me the new puppy lecture from the start.We made a quick detour to show him off to Fran's sister, Hope, and their two Brussels Griffons.  They were game to meet the little guy until this 8-week old character jumped up on a crate to get a better vantage point on them.  That set them off.

Duff showed from day 1 with me that he would forever be "Air MacDuff".  He spent a lot of time with plenty of exhuberance jumping from one spot to the other. I spent his puppyhood with marveling at his eagerness to learn and bold manner in life.  My friends continously remarked that I "do not deserve him" as he was such a remarkably well-mannered puppy.

I signed him up for your routine puppy class and then beginners obedience class.  The instructor talked to me about his obedience club and I checked it out to start training with them.We went through beginners' class and then onto intermediate where, at 10 months of age, he passed his CGC exam. We went onto to compete in Novice Obedience and Duff earned his CD at age 2.  He was eager to work and had a blast with everything he did.

When we started to train Open obedience, these cool new things appeared in his training.  Those were jumps. My instructor for that class was Peggy Timm and she suggested trying agility.  I was completely unfamiliar with the sport but once it was explained to me, I had a feeling I would like it.We checked it out and I saw an eager MacDuff turn into a wildman.  He found his niche.  He expressed his joy with barking, something I wanted to discourage.  Peggy knew other Border Terriers in agility and they barked so she indicated to leave him be and let him express himself.

Our forays into agility competition were fairly comical to begin with.  He was a wildman, wanting to do his course which could include a "HI!" to any jump setter. We joined the All Fours training group in mid-2001 and Duff's agility game took off to a new level.  We started to seriously go after the pinnacle of agility competition, the Master Agility Championship (AKC's MACH).We accomplished that feat, along with a CDX (in obedience) in 2003 and added 3 more MACHs before I moved Duff down to Preferred to jump at a lower height.

Arthritis in his spine was taking a hold of him and continuing at 16 inch jumps was not good for him anymore. Duff continued competing in agility until his eventual retirement in late May 2009.  Looking back now, we could probably guess that his brain tumor (or whatever it was) could have been affecting him back then in his perception of jumps.  We had though it was simply eyesight (lenticular schlorosis).

The summer of 2009 was a bit funky with an injury to Robbie focusing my attention to him, relying on Duff to be the stalwart dog for me that he always was.Ghilley was added to the household in mid-September and Duff taught her that he was the boss.  Her respect for him was immediate.

It was probably about a month after this that I first would say I noticed some things were off.  Most of the concerns were always arthritis.I do not really want to regress into that other than to finish with the fact that while I hurt a lot today (and will for awhile), I know I made the right choice.  Duff had a major panic attack in his crate, in the car, Sunday night.  It made me realize that when I went to work on Tuesday, he would be pannicking more but I would not be there.I know that when I held him at the vet, I made the right decision.  Any form of restraint or holding him set him off.  The Duff I knew for 14 years was not this pannicked old dog.  He had a tranquilizer to calm him as I held him until he fell asleep before we administered the final medication.

I will always remember the little puppy, the young dog and my superstar when I think of MacDuff.  He forever changed my life in such a positive way. My last gift to him was peace.  Now, he can enjoy apricot crepes from my dad!

Betsy Easton

Fourteen years ago, “Bobbi” came into my life, an 8-week old puppy full of zest and opinion. Her crazy little personality stole my heart.

She was a fun show dog and proved herself by finishing her American Championship with back-to-back 5-point majors, owner-handled. She finished her International Championship with Terrier Group I’s wins and a Reserve Best in Show. She absolutely loved to show off in the agility ring and earned 6 agility titles in 10 weekends, often winning her class and award, usually a stuffed toy which she would carefully pick from the “Award Toy Box” and squeak in her competitors’ faces as she carried it around, savoring her win. She earned her JE in only a couple of trials and had one leg on her SE. As a veteran, she earned her RN in 3 trials over a year’s time. She was bred twice, with her litter out of Harry, (Am/Int’l CH Standish’s Kissen’ Bandit), producing 3 puppies, all of which finished their championships owner-handled.

Regardless of her titles, her specialness was her darling, full of life, bossy personality. Not a day went by that she did not make me smile. She despised windshield wipers, even those on the TV, and made no bones about her dislike. When not attending to her full-time job of squirrel patrol in the yard, she watched TV, (preferably animal related), sitting in front of it with a toy in her mouth, muffling her woofs. Sunday mornings, we window-shopped. Wherever I was, she wanted to be. She was amazing….and knew it. 

Bobbi will forever be special to me, my heart dog. No words can express how much I miss her.

Elaine Brown
"Bobbi"