His life was short only 5 years old, but it brought so much pleasure and also heartbreak to my husband and myself.

King Arthur was one of 5 puppies born to our little Sparkle (Pomeranian), her one and only litter. We kept the only pure red one and found great homes for the others. He was born on June 4, 1994. He was not breathing, Sparkle pushed him aside and went on to deliver and care for the next puppy. I grabbed up Arthur and tore the sack off him, rubbed him in a soft cloth and breathed into his little mouth, miraculously he breathed and our bond was set for life.

Mama Sparkle

There was no training to do with Arthur because Sparkle took care of that, he was housebroken almost from the day he was let out of the large box we kept the puppies in. Due to our having a doggie door to our fenced in back yard, she taught him the outside was for potty and play. Arthur was a creature of habit, he stuck to his schedule, at nine each night he would give us one good-night bark and walk down the hall to his doggie bed (it was his bed time), roll over onto his back and snore like a little old man, while my husband, Sparkle and I all were in the King size bed. When 6:00 A.M. came he barked at my side of the bed, I would pick him up and put him beside me. We would snuggle for a few minutes, at which time he was ready to begin his day.

King Arthur, in his bed snoring

No one entered our home without Arthur barking loudly to let us know that someone was there, but he didn't want anyone to touch him but my husband or myself. And "Please don't mess up the hair"!!!! He was very smart seeming to know what you were saying when you talked to him. Everyone's head turned when Arthur walked by, his hair glowed like a copper penny with the sun shinning on it, I have seen pretty dogs but I have never seen one with the beauty and grace that King Arthur had.

I have never seen a dog with as much courage as he had when he went blind. He walked with the same pride and displayed a courage one would never believe (most people didn't know he was blind). The last year of his life was spent mostly in a dark world, but it was as he thought someone had just turned off the sun. He knew his back yard and his house, of course we made the proper adaptations for a blind dog and still used his doggie door. He never feared of the many veterinarians he saw, including the eye specialist from New Orleans, who determined that he was blind from inflammation of the optic nerve (cause unknown). He always sat beside me and in my lap when I was on the computer, we enjoyed the close bond we shared.

Tres-Sey, the seeing eye dog watching out for Arthur

King Arthur went to the Rainbow Bridge on Aug. 18,1999 because of a brain tumour and inflammation of the brain stem that was causing a great deal of pain and loss of balance, I had to "love him enough to let him go," when the pain became more than he could handle. He drew his first breath in my arms and he drew his last in my arms. I have his little body buried in my back yard but his spirit is forever buried in my heart. I still have his Mother Sparkle and she has taken his place beside me when I am on the computer.

If you would like to see more about King Arthur go to his Tribute Page and go on to our home page

I also have 5 albums on Webshots under "adlia" it also has many blind dogs and my other dogs.