Susan's Shepherds

I have had the good fortune to share my life with a number of very special persons and many of them were canine. Here you will meet some of the dogs I have loved. They cared for me and taught me so much over the years.

Shannon Casper Jesudason

(11 January 1981 to 12 November 1995)
I called him my 'No 1 Son' but as well as a child, he was a father and best friend to me. He had incredible strength and an even greater inner strength; his courage and his quiet wisdom were an inspiration. He was diagnosed with DM at the age of 6 and given just months to live. But the medics who gave Shannon the poor prognosis did not count on his great spirit and determination. Every day, every month, every year we had with Shannon was a miracle in our lives. And those final months, although the most difficult, were also the most precious. Shannon taught us to live each moment, hold on to hope, and walk in faith with courage. Lessons that continue to shape our lives, even in his absence. In his very weakness, Shannon gave us strength. He taught me more about love than any other person and there is not a day goes by when I do not miss him.

"He gave me hope when hope was gone..."

Click here to read Shannon's Eulogy

Sarah Jane Jesudason

(11 December 1988 to 22 September 2000)
Sweet Sarah was extremely intelligent, deeply insightful and loyal in her devotion. She lived to please those she loved but was otherwise fiercely independent. She was very selective about whom she trusted but her judgement was infallible.

When she was 9 years old Sarah under went major spinal surgery and developed DM shortly afterwards so she was paralysed for the last two years of her life but still, she tried to please. I miss her reassuring presence, her unerring judgement and the incredible bond of trust that we shared. She believed in me, and that belief made the impossible possible.

"[S]he gave me strength to journey on..."

It was through the trials with Sarah that I met the most wonderful group of friends on the Degenerative Myelopathy list. As awful a disease as DM is, the blessings that come from caring for a DM baby are infinite.

Emma Louise Jesudason

Unlike my other Shepherds, Emma is a a Briard - a French sheepdog. Her full name is Emmanuelle D'Or D'Angevin. Briards are the clowns of the canine world and Emma is no exception. She craves attention and knows just how to get it. Her humour is exceeded only by her appetite and I suspect she has her sights on the Guiness Book of Records for eating the most (in quantity) of the most (in quality) inedible items. But she most of all she is a sweetheart who loves to be loved.

You can read more about Emma in
A Briard In My Bed
A Shitty Story

Tiffany Anne Jesudason

Tiffany is the sweet angel who has blessed my life since Sarah rejoined Shannon. She is in training with Central Search Dogs and, because I now have a digital camera, Tiffany has her own web page. (She also has her own K9 computer station so she can talk to her friends on the Internet.) To see recent pics of my baby click here.