People have it all wrong….buckets aren’t to be emptied before you cross to the great beyond. Buckets should be filled to overflowing so that you carry your memories with you.

I, Marta, started on my journey on March 23, 2015 when I was rescued from a life of pain and torment in a puppy mill. I was 8 years old. I had terminal cancer and was heartworm positive from their neglect. Since I was of no further use to the owners, they were glad to be rid of me.

I spent a month with my rescuers, Abby and Ron Benefiel in Iowa, gaining strength. They made the decision that even though I only had 3 or 4 months to live, I should be given a chance at a “normal” life. I was to emigrate to Ontario, Canada for hospice care with Marlene Miller.

Here is where Pilots and Paws stepped up to help…. I needed a ride to Buffalo, New York where I would be met by my foster momma and emigrate to Canada. Many people helped put this journey together. But the most important were Ann McHugh from Ohio who co-ordinated my journey (and made my beautiful bandana) and my pilots. It was a long trip accomplished all in one day, thanks to them. It was as if they were echoing in their hearts the feelings in mine…”she doesn’t have much time so let’s get this done!”

On May 2, I was driven to Davenport, Iowa to meet my first flight with Eric Puryear. Without Eric, I would never have been able to start this journey. I was a little nervous since I had never been on a plane before. Eric was gentle and kind to me.

Eric flew me to Valparaiso, Indiana to catch the second leg of my flying journey with Hilary Kerkstra. Hilary lives in Michigan and she said she was so happy to help me. I know Hilary made personal sacrifices to join my odyssey and I send her blessings for that. I think Hilary was at the time a new addition to Pilots and Paws so I tried to be very calm and quiet so she would enjoy our journey together.

Hilary took me to Toledo, Ohio to meet my third and final pilot, Bob Rose from Cleveland Ohio. Bob and his wife flew me to Buffalo New York. I think he loved me at first sight!….No, I KNOW he loved me at first sight!

These three pilots set me down with a chance to know life as all dogs should…loved, treasured, cared for.

Dogs fill buckets and in my short three months, I surely did that! I had car rides, plane rides and a boat ride…not many dogs are as well-travelled as I! I had an island named after me too. I had my own Garden which is full of beautiful flowers …the Sunflower is my symbol, bright happy rising above all others…just as I rose above my past life. The Butterfly that visits the Garden echoes my joy in life.

I had toys to play with and bones to chew and a real bed to sleep in. And friends…from all over the world. So, you see, my bucket was very full.

On July 31 (almost 3 months to the day that my new life started), the Great Dog called me home. I took my full bucket with me to show him and all the dogs waiting at the Rainbow Bridge what an excellent life I had lived and what wonderful people I had shared it with.

Blessings and love

Marta