[TheForge] Sad time

Wed Feb 6 21:52:56 2002

Sorry to hear about your loss Jerry. Believe me when I say I know what you
are going through. It sounds like you are doing everything right, under the
circumstances.  We diagnosed a goat herd near us last week with Johnes. This
particular farm also raised springing heifers, and thats how it got in. Best
of luck to you.
T. Clark
Northwoods Veterinary Center
Mountain, WI

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jerry Frost" <[email protected]>
To: "George and Barbara Frost" <[email protected]>; "Shannon Carr"
<[email protected]>; "Gene Olson/Chris Wilson" <[email protected]>;
"Phyllis Bowers" <[email protected]>; <[email protected]>;
<[email protected]>
Sent: February 06, 2002 2:57 PM
Subject: [TheForge] Sad time

> Debbie wrote this and there's nothing I can add.
>
> Jerry Frost
>
> -----------------------------------
>
> Family and friends,
> I have been through rough times in my life. I thought the past two weeks
> were bad but THIS day beats them all to hell and back. Since I can't
sleep,
> I will fill you in briefly.  :(
>
> I can't go into detail tonight. It is late (well past midnight) and we are
> emotionally and physically exhausted. We (Jer or I) will write again soon
if
> you wish details. Let us know. For now I can only manage this:
>
> Spring Promise Glacier Moon ("Jimmy") died of unknown causes two weeks
ago.
> We had him necropsied. The results came back positive for Johnes
(pronounced
> "Yo-Nees"). I DID NOT BELIEVE IT. Additional, multiple testing of the
entire
> herd resulted. It was confirmed Johnes . As of 8:00 PM, Tuesday, February
5,
> 2002, Spring Promise Pygmies no longer exists. It has been a devastating
> blow and we are still reeling with shock and grief. We can only guess as
to
> how or where this disease entered our carefully tested and protected herd.
> Complacency, we have discovered, can indeed kill. We have pretty much
> narrowed the time span down to three years ago. ANNUAL testing would have
> possibly saved us half the herd at least. Heck, testing ONE dairy goat I
> brought in might have saved the entire herd.  I trusted the word of the
> owner.
>
> For more information on Johnes, either search the web on your own or go to
> these sites (it is the premiere Johnes Research Lab in the country at
> University of WI, Madison):
> http://www.johnes.org/goats/control.html (Control/eradication)
> http://www.johnes.org/goats/truecases.html (Case histories)
> By hitting "Home" on either of these pages, you will go to the Home Page
for
> the Johnes site.
> ~~~~~~~~
> Spring Promise Pygmies lost this day, 2-05-02:
>
> J-Lynn Once In A Blue Moon ("Blue"), age 7
>
> Spring Promise Kayla's Galaxy ("Lexie"), age 3
>
> Spring Promise Lucy In The Sky ("Lucy"), age 3
>
> Spring Promise April Showers ("April"), age 20 months
>
> Spring Promise Jackie Purcell ("Jackie"), age 19 months
>
> Desert Suns Ho'Beau ("Hobo"), age 13 months, deceased
>
> Spring Promise Willow (Lexie's silver doeling), age 9 months
>
> Spring Promise Hope (Alyssa's doeling) and
> Homer (Alyssa's wether), age 9 months.
> (These were triplets - the owner of Spring Promise Healy hasn't yet been
> contacted.
> Separation and testing will be advised for Healy since she was a bottle
> baby and MAY have avoided exposure.
>
> Spring Promise Cinnabar, (Makayla's red caramel buckling - one of
> triplets), age 8 months.
> The siblings' owners are being contacted. Euthanasia advised.
>
> The only hope for the Spring Promise name to continue another generation
is
> through our two older does, Desert Suns Makayla and Desert Suns Alyssa,
both
> of whom at age 5 tested Negative on both the AGID and ELISA tests. Both
are
> bred - one to Blue and one to Ho'Beau. They MUST be removed from this
> contaminated environment as well as carefully bathed and trimmed before
> kidding - the sooner the better. No ruminants can be safely born on this
> land for the next two years. My dear does are being given to a
knowledgeable
> 4H family. These two does will be quarantined from other livestock and
will
> kid in April and May on clean, uncontaminated land. We have our fingers
> crossed for their future even though it will not include us. Further
testing
> will be required but there is room for optimism. They would have been 2
when
> the farm was infected - old enough to fight off the bacteria, hopefully.
>
> The current owners of ALL the kids we have sold in the past three years
must
> be contacted and advised to test and to cull any who test positive
> immediately. Those who have siblings or offspring of does who have already
> tested Positive are being advised to have the kids put down or quarantined
> until they are old enough to accurately test (age two+). This is possibly
> going to bring grief to many families which multiplies our own grief
> tenfold. We can only hope they WILL follow through with the testing and do
> what is needed, no matter how heartbreaking.
>
> The loss of all these animals and a dream of so many years - all at once -
> is beyond pain. We are numb. The only consolation we have at this point is
> each other - and this poem, which so many of you already know so well . .
.
>
> Rainbow Bridge
>
> Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.  When an
> animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet
> goes to Rainbow Bridge.  There are meadows and hills for all of our
> special friends so they can run and play together.  There is plenty of
> food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.
>
> All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and
> vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again,
> just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.  The
> animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each
> miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
>
> They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly
> stops and looks into the distance.  His bright eyes are intent; His
> eager body begins quivers.  Suddenly he begins to run from the group,
> flying over the green grass, his legs carry him faster and faster.
>
> You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally
> meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again.
> The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the
> beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your
> pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.
>
> Then you cross rainbow Bridge together....
>
> Author unknown
>
> Heartbroken,
> Deb & Jerry Frost
> --
> Deb Frost / snowgoose
> Meadow Lakes, Alaska
> [email protected]
> http://www.customcpu.com/personal/dfrost/mypage.htm
>
>
>
> ------------------------
> If it ain't forged
> it ain't real.
> Wrought iron is.
> The FrostWorks
>
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