We had recently lost one of our Siberian Huskies to tick bite fever. I wanted another dog, but an older one as company for my surviving husky, so I began to Google until on about the 25 page of Google, I found a post for a seven year old Siberian husky looking for a home.

I immediately made contact with the shelter, who was up-country from where we lived and they sent me a picture.He had been found roaming the street and local building site up country near Johannesburg. The shelter who caught him had no history on him and he was in quite a state - pretty wild and feral actualy. He was such an escape artist and would climb out of his enclosure on a daily basis until they rescue facility sent him to a private boarding kennel who had a more secure enclosure. A family then came forward to adopt him, but returned him a week later saying he was too naughty, destructive and disobedient.

I agreed to take him! The necessary references and plans were made to fly him to Cape Town, where we lived, but then two days before the scheduled flight, I was advised that he had contracted tick-bite fever and may not survive. 5 days later he was on his way to Cape Town and our journey together began.

When he arrived he had a nasty little limp. I took him to my vet who performed some x-rays and dental hygiene. The vet then phoned me to advise that Flame had been in some trauma as he had a figure of 8 wire holding his bones in place. My vet advised that he was not in pain, but would need to be kept on anti-inflammatories for his comfort. We followed this advice for about 5 years. Flame was the most amazing gift we had ever received. He arrived a scared and insecure animal (he would aways lay behind the couch - never closing his eyes), and slowly over time he became this amazing, trusting loving creature. My husband, Nick, said that Flamey had super healing powers. He took 3 broken hearts and mended them. We needed him, just as much as he needed us. It was a love that we had hoped would last forever! He had the most amazing character, would talk, bounce, play games and cuddle. He lived and love life for every moment that it was. 

Two years ago, my husband was walking our three babies on the beach (we had adopted another old girl who was looking for a home) when Flame slipped on a rock and began screaming. We rushed him to the vet and were advised that his leg was broken through. It had broken at the site of the old injury which had developed massive arthritis. We were referred to an orthopaedic surgeon who gave us two options. We could amputate or they could remove the elbow, fuse the bones with a titanium rod and pins. We choose the elbow fusion.

Six weeks into his recovery (on his first full day out in yard unsupervised) he was attacked by a Cape Cobra which he killed. My husband and I were on our way home from work when our neighbour called so we rushed home, loaded Flame into the car and drove like maniacs to the Animal Hospital. They administered 4 ampules of anti-venom and two days later he was back at home.

You would think that would be the end of his bad luck, but it wasnt. I bought an anti flea product called Certifect which I used on all 3 dogs. I had alway used Frontline Plus, but had been advised this was better for the tick problem that Cape Town was experiencing. I applied as direct that night. In the early hours of the morning, I heard Flame get up and stumble. He slept in our bedroom with us, so I immediately jumped out of bed screaming for my husband to wake up. Flame walked to the patio door - in a trance like state and fell over. My husband grabbed him in his arms and said 'he's dying!' I called the vet and we were there in 15mins. They put him on drip and managed to stabilise him. I described the preceding days to the vet, saying that nothing had changed except I had used this different flea control. When we arrived home Nick Googled and there were reports of other Huskies experiencing the same effect- even dying - after having been dosed with Certifect. We called the vet again, he administer the antidote for the active ingredient and within hours Flame was standing again! This little guy was such a fighter!!

We moved to Brazil for a 18 month contract in April of 2013. All three dogs survived the flights and arrived healthy and happy to see us. I was so relieved. I had been terrified about Flame and his leg and being contained to a crate for 12hrs.Flame adapted to Brazil with gusto and was soon the darling of the neighbourhood with people stopping by all day to pet him at the gate.

In about December of last year we noticed that he was constantly licking at the site of where the titanium pins were located. He would lick until he opened a small wound and it would bleed. In addition he had developed a swelling under the position of where the titanium rod was. We went to the vet where they did a biopsy (under anaesthetic). We were told it was NOT cancer, but some type of benign tumour that grows rapidly. We went home happy and relieved and decided to put some padding on his elbow (his gran knitted him socks) to stop him licking and help with comfort. Things were going well. Then suddenly in the last two months this tumour grew insanely fast. It was about the size of a tennis ball. We also felt that it had fluid in it, so took him back to the the vet. It didn't have fluid, but the vet looked at all his other leg issues to and felt that he was in pain and the situation was only going to get worse. He advised we amputate. Nick and I had discussed this as a possibility as we have an impending return to Cape Town in 10 weeks and were very concerned about him travelling again and his 2 week quarantine and him not getting the care and attention he needed. We made the decisions to perform the amputation on Thursday just past.  

Flame died on the theatre table! I still cant believe it. The anaesthetist said that they were just beginning to stitch him up when his heart started to slow. They administered meds and got it beating again. Five minutes later, it slowed again, so they gave him more meds. Once again it got beating properly then suddenly stopped. They performed CPR and massage but were unable to revive him. I still cant believe that he died in the last few minutes - having been through all that. My precious angel - tripawd for just a few minutes! 

I cant begin to tell you the shock of receiving that phone call to tell us the light of our lives was gone. I've lost 2 dogs before but still, nothing prepared me for the grief. It is a very real and physical pain that we are experiencing. My heart physically aches, and I feel sick to my stomach. I lie in his bed just to smell him and feel surrounded by his presence.We are trying to focus on all the wonderful memories we have him and the special times we shared. But its tough right now not to feel angry, cheated and heart-broken.

Flamey - you were the most amazing, strong, courageous dog.  As Aunty Lyn says, you were so much more than a dog - you were snake wrangler, escape artist, security manager, biltong quality controller, child, dancer, singer, shadow, mind reader. You were loved and cherished beyond words. I hope you are running free and happy in heaven.