06/11/2019
Go in peace Ned and may peace be with you too, Lissie. 😢
Thank you so much to all of you that have sent words of kindness & condolences for Ned’s passing. Your love & the love I experienced over the weekend at Laura’s Legacy, being with family & friends, has truly saved me. My boyfriend Collin & I had the most joyful, smart, hilarious & sweet puppy in Ned. He was getting so big and so good. He was very cuddly & playful. He spent most of his days on the farm in Va with Collin, living a dog’s dream life- running free, eating vegetables, getting dirty and playing with his dog brother Finn. I can still smile through the sorrow as I think about all of the goofy things he did, he was pure goodness! Collin took incredible care of him and showed us so much support by taking my puppy in as his own. I’ve had an incredibly busy year of travel and every time I got picked up at the airport, Ned would heave his giant puppy self onto my lap and kiss me the whole way home. He was pure joy and innocence and brightened our lives beyond measure. I was hoping to get him back home to Iowa for the summer. I also wanted to get him some proper training so that he would be safe as he grew to be such a large dog, one that might intimidate some. I did a bunch of research & found a well rated & reviewed, reputable board & train facility. I spoke with the owner on many occasions & discussed my concerns, worries & hopes. I was made to feel reassured & confident that I was making the best decision for Ned. He’d get picked up & taken to a wonderful place to learn & play with other dogs. I told Ned that he was going to summer camp and I’d pick him up when I got back from Norway, that we’d spend the summer together. I drove 13 hours from Va back to my hometown & then on Thursday met the trainer at the pickup point. It was a hot, humid Midwest day. I said goodbye to Ned & headed back to my parents to get ready for a weekend of family & concerts, including the fundraiser for ALS patients & research we do annually, Laura’s Legacy, in honor of my late aunt Laura who passed away from ALS. Around 2pm on Friday I got a call from the trainer that Ned was at the vet. The trainer had gotten home very late the night before & had decided to go home rather than to the facility to go to sleep. He left Ned in the van overnight & then overslept. To my understanding, Ned was discovered by another employee from the facility & rushed to the Vet because he’d been left in a hot van for many hours. (unbearable horror) but Ned could not be saved & died. I am heartbroken, sick & distraught. This was a completely avoidable tragedy. Even a small child knows that you don’t leave a dog in a hot vehicle. I can’t describe the sorrow & anger I feel. I’ve filed a police report, feel like there’s more unthinkable recklessness I can’t bear to imagine involved & will be sharing more when I have all the details. Then I can start working towards making sure no one ever sends their beloved dog into the care of this man or his facility. I’ll be posting about upcoming shows & sharing but am pretty beat up. Ned, I love you and I hope you’re at peace somewhere with Byron.
